Trump requests $3.3B for DHS cyber unit in 2019

President Trump is asking Congress to allocate $3.3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit that protects federal networks and critical infrastructure from cyber threats. 

The administration’s new fiscal 2019 funding proposal for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) includes over $700 million to operate and support the directorate’s cybersecurity branch, according to documents released by the administration on Monday. Roughly $225 million would go toward cyber readiness and response efforts and $460 million for federal cybersecurity.

The funding is largely consistent with the president’s 2018 request.

NPPD is responsible for guarding federal networks from threats and helping owners and operators protect critical infrastructure from cyber and physical attacks. {mosads}

An administration official told reporters Monday that the budget allows Homeland Security to invest in the “most critical” cybersecurity needs in the current fiscal climate.

“We believe that it is adequate,” the official said.

Trump’s summary document emphasizes the “important role that DHS plays in combating cyberattacks and protecting the Nation’s critical infrastructure.” 

“As these threats continue to evolve, DHS cybersecurity programs are more important than ever,” the blueprint states.

Under the new proposal, NPPD would see its research and development budget increase significantly from $11 million to over $47 million, with much of the new funds bolstering cybersecurity research.

Administration officials said that the funds are being reallocated from the department’s Science and Technology directorate. Science and Technology, which is separate from NPPD, would again see its funding slashed under the new budget proposal. Trump’s 2018 budget proposed a trimmed-down budget of $627 million for the directorate, and the 2019 proposal allocates $583 million for it.

Trump on Monday unveiled his full budget blueprint, which includes significant cuts to some agencies while allotting more money for defense and $18 billion for a wall on the Mexican border. While presidential budgets rarely, if ever, become law, the document signifies the new administration’s priorities for the upcoming year.