Cybersecurity, cloud computing will top IT spending list

The amount of money that the federal government will spend on IT is expected to grow in the next several years, with cybersecurity and cloud computing being among the highest priorities. Input, an analysis and consulting firm specializing on government contracting, projects that federal IT spending will increase from $76 billion in 2009 to $90 billion in 2014.

The firm said the federal cloud-computing market alone will grow by 27 percent over the next five years, with spending of more than $1 billion in 2014. Cybersecurity spending is expected increase from $8.2 billion this year to $12.2 billion in 2014.

Both projections make a lot of sense. Cybersecurity has become a major issue, with the threats increasing daily and President Barack Obama publicly vowing to make it a priority and work to secure the government's now vulnerable computer networks.

The Obama's administration also has "aggressively" promoted cloud computing to federal agencies, according to Deniece Peterson, manager of industry analysis at Input. Peterson told CIO.com that hosted applications such as email, web conferencing and payroll are areas where the federal government may look to use cloud computing.

For more on federal spending projections:
- see this CIO.com article