Federal IT Security Spending to Increase Nearly $4B by 2014

Federal IT security spending is expected to jump by nearly 50 percent between 2009 and 2014, according to research from analyst company Input.

In a report titled "Defining the Federal Information Security Mission: 2009-2014 Forecast," the company predicts federal spending will jump "from $7.9 billion in 2009 to $11.7 billion in 2014 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1 percent, more than twice the rate of total federal IT spending."

The predicted growth follows from both an increased federal focus on IT security and the increase in number of attacks. According to Input, cyber-attacks on the federal government have jumped 300 percent since 2005.

"The Obama administration is making an effort to put cyber-security in the spotlight with some bold initiatives, such as the creation of the White House Office of Cybersecurity and the pending appointment of a U.S. Cybersecurity Coordinator to oversee all federal information security efforts," Kevin Plexico, Input senior vice president of research and analysis, said in a statement Oct. 22. "But these roles have yet to be clearly defined, and facing more complex and increasing attacks, the need for a multipronged approach will continue to drive increased funding over a wide range of opportunities."

There have been calls for the government to get serious about bringing more IT experts on board. To that end, the Department of Homeland Security recently got the OK to hire up to 1,000 IT pros during the next three years to bolster cyber-security.