BREAKING NEWS

Obama seeks over one-third rise in US cyber security funding

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year seeks $19 billion for cyber security across the US government, a surge of $5 billion over this year, according to senior administration officials.
The request comes as the Obama administration has struggled to address the growing risk posed by criminals and nation states in the digital world.
The initiative, to be released later on Tuesday, is more than a one-third increase from the $14 billion sought last year and will include $3.1 billion for technology modernization at various federal agencies.
It is unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress will approve the increase.
The request for a cash infusion is the latest signal from the White House that it intends to make cyber security a top priority in the last year of Obama's presidency.
The move follows a series of high-profile hacks against the government and companies like Sony Pictures and Target , that were largely met with legislative inaction and administrative uncertainty on how best to address evolving cyber threats.