US Cybersecurity Enhancement Act sails through House

The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act was passed by 422 votes to five

The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act has been passed by the US House of Representatives by a huge margin. The 422:5 vote was higher than expected, and should make it easier to pass through the Senate.

The legislation calls for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to spend $396m (£252m) over the next four years to fund cyber security research.

The NSF will be awarded $94m (£60m) to fund scholarships into security research, on the proviso that those who receive them work in the public sector for the same number of years as their studies.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, meanwhile, will develop a strategic plan for national security within a year, and build partnerships with the security industry. It will also set out technical security standards for the industry as a whole.

Federal agencies spend $6bn (£3.8bn) annually on cyber security to protect a $72bn (£45.8bn) IT infrastructure, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The Federal government funds $356m (£226m) in cyber security research each year.

"Critical infrastructures ranging from electrical grids, to oil production facilities to telecoms and transportation networks are under constant attack from cyber criminals," said George Kurtz, chief technical officer at McAfee.

"We are seeing some of the most elaborate attacks that we have ever seen on the commercial sector. Keep in mind that the private sector owns and operates 85 per cent of the world's critical infrastructures.

"If these go down, it won't just impact the organisations that were targeted. It will affect many businesses and individuals who rely on those systems every day. An attack could cause widespread economic disruption, environmental disasters, loss of property and even loss of life."