President Donald Trump released a $4.75 trillion budget outline for 2020, which seeks to put several billion toward various IT and cybersecurity initiatives.
Five notes on the IT-related line items:
1. Ramped up cybersecurity. The budget earmarks $9.6 billion for the Defense Department to ramp up security, support military cybersecurity objectives and provide national data security, according to Nextgov. This is $1 billion more than last year's request. It includes funds for other agencies' cybersecurity efforts as well, including $1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, $156 million for the Energy Department and $125 million for the Treasury Department.
2. Technology modernization. The Technology Modernization Fund, which goes toward IT improvements across federal agencies, would receive an injection of $150 million, according to Nextgov. Congress previously authorized $125 million for TMF, $90 million of which has been spent across seven modernization projects.
3. IT upgrades for veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs would receive $4.3 billion for IT investments, which includes $200 million for cloud development and $1.6 billion for its Cerner EHR implementation, Nextgov reports.
4. IT research. Under President Trump's budget, several departments and initiatives would receive funding to develop new technology, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which would receive $688 million to research quantum computing.
5. Border security. Homeland Security would also receive $367 million for technology that promotes border security. This would be used, in part, to intercept drugs like fentanyl, an opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
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