US government opens $9m cyber security center

The US government is promising a more coordinated approach to cyber attacks, with the creation of a new $9 million cyber security center.

The  National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center in northern Virginia  will integrate the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications.

Apparently, US government computer systems are scanned millions of times a day by potential hackers, criminals and hostile nation states.

Meanwhile, speaking to Chamber of Commerce executives, Senator Joe Lieberman – head of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee – said the US was lagging in the fight against computer crime.

He called for the creation of a central hub for federal agencies and private companies to share information on cyber threats.

It would be headed by a presidential cyber security csar who would oversee cybersecurity budgets and spending by federal agencies, including the Defense Department – a post which has already had the green light from president Barack Obama.