Agency presses forward in the face of workforce reduction plans by CISA officials
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is navigating challenging times as it faces significant job cuts and resource constraints, following a reduction in its budget by approximately $135 million for FY2026. This has resulted in the loss of over 1,000 staff members, about one-third of its workforce [1][2].
Despite these setbacks, CISA is determined to continue its mission of protecting federal networks and supporting critical infrastructure providers. Senior officials at the agency have emphasized their commitment to adapting and remaining focused on their core mission, even if their presence and activities in public forums and industry events have diminished noticeably [3][4].
In an effort to empower its remaining employees, CISA is investing in new tools and capabilities, with new resources being rolled out almost every week [5]. This focus on equipping its staff is evident in the agency's response to major vulnerabilities, such as those found in Microsoft SharePoint, where CISA demonstrated its continued talent and expertise [6].
One of CISA's key initiatives is its Cyber Hygiene service, which scans internet-facing systems for vulnerabilities. Over 11,000 partners rely on this service, testament to its importance [7]. In the coming months, CISA will release new tools to make it easier for critical infrastructure organizations to sign up for this service [8].
CISA has also been proactive in using its authority to identify and contact organizations with vulnerable systems. Since the beginning of 2021, it has used this power to reach out to over 3,000 organizations [9]. In 80% of these cases, CISA has successfully convinced the organizations to shield their vulnerable systems from the internet [10].
The agency's Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) has also been affected by the cuts, with a reduction in contractors from over 100 to just 10. This has further constrained the JCDC's ability to facilitate collaboration and information sharing with partners [5].
Stakeholders at the state and local level have reported a tangible decline in CISA's engagement and direct support, with cyber advisors and regional outreach significantly reduced or withdrawn [5]. To address this, CISA is planning to launch a new "industry engagement portal" before the end of the year, aiming to make it easier for private companies to access the agency [11].
The CVE program, foundational to CISA's agency and forming the basis of the vulnerability and cybersecurity ecosystem, will continue to be funded and improved by CISA [12]. The agency is also making strides in its IT modernization efforts, with a goal of completing its on-premises environments migration to the cloud by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 [13].
Despite the challenges, CISA's CIO, Robert Costello, has stated that the agency is advancing in a new direction [14]. The agency continues to protect federal networks and support critical infrastructure providers, albeit with fewer resources and a refocused, narrower role [1][2][3][5]. Former cybersecurity leaders express concern that these workforce and scope reductions may leave the U.S. more exposed to nation-state cyberattacks and criminal activity [4].
[1] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/03/cisa-loses-over-1000-staffers-2025-budget-cuts/400423/ [2] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-budget-cuts-job-losses-mitre-cve-program/ [3] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-black-hat-2025-cybersecurity-conference-budget-cuts/ [4] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/08/cisa-loses-over-1000-staffers-2025-budget-cuts-former-officials-warn-nation-state-attacks/402014/ [5] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-jcdc-cuts-state-local-partners-report-less-engagement/ [6] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/07/cisa-responds-sharepoint-vulnerabilities-agency-focuses-tooling-up-employees/401747/ [7] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-cyber-hygiene-service-internet-facing-systems/ [8] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/06/cisa-plans-new-tools-critical-infrastructure-cyber-hygiene/401344/ [9] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-administrative-subpoenas-internet-service-providers-vulnerable-technology/ [10] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/05/cisa-convinces-80-organizations-shield-vulnerable-systems-internet/400956/ [11] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-industry-engagement-portal-private-companies/ [12] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-mitre-cve-program-funding-improvement/ [13] https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/04/cisa-plans-complete-cloud-migration-end-fiscal-year/400542/ [14] https://www.cyberscoop.com/cisa-cio-costello-agency-advancing-new-direction/
- The reduced workforce and budget at CISA have raised concerns about their capacity to protect federal networks and critical infrastructure, as they grapple with vulnerabilities such as those found in Microsoft SharePoint.
- Despite the workforce and resource constraints, CISA is investing in new tools and capabilities to empower its remaining employees and maintain its core mission, demonstrating its continued talent and expertise in addressing cybersecurity issues.
- As CISA faces significant job cuts and resource constraints, stakeholders are calling attention to potential risks associated with data-and-cloud-computing, given the agency's diminished presence in public forums and industry events.
