U.S. Energy Dept. wants more cybersecurity

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy said as much as $20 million is available in funding for cybersecurity research for the nation's energy infrastructure.

The Washington Post reported Sunday on a classified report that says cyberespionage campaigns against the United States represent a serious threat to the U.S. economy.

In the past five years, hacking has been targeted at a wide range of industries, including energy, finance, information technology, aerospace and automotive, the report said.

The Energy Department said it was seeking applications for as much as $20 million in research aid to support technology that could "enhance and accelerate deployment of cybersecurity capabilities for the U.S energy infrastructure, including cyber secure integration of smart grid technologies."

The funding is available for programs ranging from technology used to detect the compromise of the supply chain to those that would sustain energy delivery in the event of a cyberattack.

The Energy Department said responses are due April 5.

In January, the U.S. Defense Department announced plans to increase its Cyber Command force by more than 4,000 people, up from the current 900.