Agency FY-26 budget submissions should address goals outlined in National Cybersecurity Strategy

The Office of Management and Budget director and the national cyber director said that fiscal year 2026 agency budget submissions for cybersecurity investment priorities should align with the five pillars outlined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy.

The five pillars outlined in the strategy, which aims to advance the U.S.’s cybersecurity posture, are defending critical infrastructure, disrupting and dismantling threat actors, shaping market forces to drive security and resilience, investing in a resilient future and forging international partnerships to pursue shared goals.

“Sustained investments across these five pillars are critical to mitigate cybersecurity risks and should be addressed within the FY 2026 Budget guidance levels provided by OMB,” Shalanda Young, OMB director, and Harry Coker, national cyber director, said in a memo released yesterday detailing budget submission details.

Across the pillars, budget submissions should look towards modernizing federal defenses, scaling public-private collaboration, improving baseline cybersecurity requirements, improving open source software security and sustainability, countering cybercrime to defeat adversaries, securing software development and leveraging federal procurement to improve accountability, leveraging federal grants and other incentives to build in security, strengthening the cyber workforce, preparing for the post-quantum future and securing the technical foundation of the internet.

“The administration is committed to data-driven decision-making and departments and agencies are expected to incorporate performance measurement strategies into resource requests in order to build visibility in requested activities and allow effective measurement of investments,” the memo, which was sent to all executive department and agency heads, said.

During FY-26 budget submissions, OMB and the Office of the National Cyber Director will review agency responses regarding these priorities together and then identify possible gaps and find solutions to said gaps.

“OMB, in coordination with ONCD, will provide feedback to agencies on whether their submissions adequately address and are consistent with overall cybersecurity strategy and policy, aiding agencies’ multiyear planning through the regular budget process,” the memo said.