Obama to spend big on cyber security

Barack Obama has outlined increases in spending on national computer security

President Barack Obama is planning to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on improving cyber security in the US.

In an outline of the president's planned 2010 budget, the White House offered a breakbown of funding plans for the Department of Homeland Security, which included $355m (£250m) earmarked for securing the nation's computer systems.

The money will be spent on government and private groups, with much of the funding going to the National Cybersecurity Division and the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative programmes.

Around $36m (£25m) is also planned to be spent on improving sensor and surveillance systems to protect against a biological attack, while another $36m will go to the development and installation of new long-range sensor systems for the Coast Guard.

The cyber security money adds to billions of dollars in new funding for IT programmes in the US. Earlier this month, Congress signed off on a hotly-contended stimulus bill which includes $7.2bn (£5bn) for improving broadband networks throughout the country.