Senate Approves Cybercrime Funding Increase Amid Industry Concerns

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Monday voted to increase funding for anti-cybercrime programs, despite claims from software and high-tech groups that last-minute changes to the bill could stifle innovation. The "Cyber Security Research and Development Act," sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., would give $970 million over five years to the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology to improve government computer and network security. . . . The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Monday voted to increase funding for anti-cybercrime programs, despite claims from software and high-tech groups that last-minute changes to the bill could stifle innovation. The "Cyber Security Research and Development Act," sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., would give $970 million over five years to the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology to improve government computer and network security.

The technology industry supports the bill, but many businesses dislike changes made by co-sponsor Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., that direct NIST to set guidelines for security settings on many common software products used by the federal government.

They argue that such language would put Uncle Sam in the role of setting standards for computer security technologies, and would gut the public-sector market for new security products.

"The establishment of such technological standards would create a ceiling, rather than a floor, for federal government cybersecurity," said Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the Business Software Alliance.

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