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Government zeroes in on cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has become an issue of paramount concern for preserving the safety of the United States. Adversarial nations are increasingly attempting to unsettle the American infrastructure with assaults upon the country's critical sectors. Financial centers, government agencies and media outlets have all been breached by foreign agents in recent years. Washington has been a favorite target among global cybercriminals. The Center for New American Security's study "America's Cyber Future: Security and Prosperity in the Information Age" reported that Congress and federal agencies are targeted by approximately 1.8 billion cyberattacks each month.

However, the U.S. government appears to be taking steps to secure the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure. Reuters reported that President Barack Obama recently announced his administration's budget proposal for the 2014 fiscal year. The budget plan contained an $800 million increase to the Defense Department's cybersecurity spending, bringing the total number up to $4.7 billion. The significant increase in the face of reductions for overall defense spending is a testament to the growing importance of establishing strong network defenses.

Congress has stepped up its committal to cybersecurity as well. According to CNET, the House Intelligence committee recently approved the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, moving it to the floor of the House of Representatives for further consideration. If passed, the legislation would allow government agencies and private enterprises to share information concerning cyberthreats. In the event of an imminent cyberattack, government officials could warn targeted businesses so they can take the proper steps to ward off an assault.

The payoff from these moves may not be seen for some time down the road. The bill must still pass through both chambers of congress and gain presidential approval. Meanwhile, the president's budget would not go into effect until October, assuming it is approved. The lion's share of cybersecurity comes down to individual enterprises. Attacks can come from any direction, whether the perpetrators are state-funded activists or lone-wolf thieves.

The presence of cybercrime continues to increase across the globe. Encrypt sensitive data with an SSL certificate today.

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