Interagency R&D Coordination Highlighted In President's Budget
The President's FY 2007 budget emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity activities including the interagency coordination of cybersecurity R&D activities. The budget explains that the "Administration is strengthening interagency coordination for other priority areas—such as improving cybersecurity."

The budgetary focal point for the interagency cooperation is the multi-agency Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program for which $3 billion is proposed for FY 2007. The NITRD "plans and coordinates agency research efforts in...cyber security, and other information technologies. The agencies involved in this program coordinate efforts to accelerate research advancement in information technology, upon which every economic sector now depends."

The budget directs is that "participating agencies will broaden their R&D activities in cyber security and information assurance, continuing to emphasize interagency coordination. For example, the Interagency Working Group (IWG) that coordinates R&D on information technology infrastructure protection was incorporated as part of the NITRD program in 2005, strengthening the connection between cyber security R&D and overall infrastructure protection. After completion of the Federal Plan for Cyber Security and Information Assurance R&D, the IWG will develop a roadmap for addressing any identified R&D gaps."

Although interagency coordination is crucial to cybersecurity R&D activities, it is equally important that the federal government also engage in cooperative cybersecurity coordination with state and local governments, industry and academia.