The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency faces deep personnel and funding cuts that have prompted widespread concern among cybersecurity experts and government officials, reports The Register.
Up to 1,300 employees, or nearly 40% of the agency's workforce, may be laid off, threatening CISAs ability to respond to rising cyber threats from nation-states and criminal networks. The downsizing affects key functions, including red team operations, penetration testing, and public-private threat intelligence sharing. Experts warn that the cuts will undermine CISAs coordination with private industry and local governments, which rely on partnerships like the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. In March, CISA halved MS-ISACs funding, curbing essential threat detection services for state and local agencies. Critics also point to the broader dismantling of advisory boards and suspension of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, further eroding collaboration between sectors. The firings follow the removal of leadership at U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. Observers argue these moves compromise the nation's cyber readiness, especially as hostile actors intensify digital aggression. Congressional leaders are now considering legislation to preserve joint defense initiatives such as JCDC in response to the escalating concerns.
Up to 1,300 employees, or nearly 40% of the agency's workforce, may be laid off, threatening CISAs ability to respond to rising cyber threats from nation-states and criminal networks. The downsizing affects key functions, including red team operations, penetration testing, and public-private threat intelligence sharing. Experts warn that the cuts will undermine CISAs coordination with private industry and local governments, which rely on partnerships like the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. In March, CISA halved MS-ISACs funding, curbing essential threat detection services for state and local agencies. Critics also point to the broader dismantling of advisory boards and suspension of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, further eroding collaboration between sectors. The firings follow the removal of leadership at U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. Observers argue these moves compromise the nation's cyber readiness, especially as hostile actors intensify digital aggression. Congressional leaders are now considering legislation to preserve joint defense initiatives such as JCDC in response to the escalating concerns.
