George Bush splashes cash on cyber security

NEWS President George W Bush is stepping up his efforts to guard the US from cyber terrorists by investing heavily in computer security research. Investment is going to rise sharply from $60m per year currently to $111m next year and $231m by 2007 - totalling $903m over five years. The money will be paid out in scholarships and grants to create a well-funded community of high-tech security experts. Investment will also percolate through to schools and colleges, with some being set aside to fund the employment of specialist tutors who can put the issue of network security onto the national syllabus. The need for such increased investment was highlighted by the recent attack on the computers which underpin the internet (see http://www.silicon.com/a56067 for more). Similarly recent high-profile virus attacks and malicious worms, as well as denial-of-service attacks, which often target government systems, have brought the possible ramifications of a serious security breach to the fore.