CISA’s international, industry and academic partnerships slashed

The Trump administration has effectively closed the division of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that coordinates critical infrastructure cybersecurity improvements with states and local governments, private businesses and foreign countries.

Sweeping layoffs in mid-October eliminated almost all 95 employees in CISA’s Stakeholder Engagement Division (SED), four people familiar with the matter told Cybersecurity Dive. After the cuts take effect in early December, they will leave three of the division’s four units without any staff: Council Management, which convenes meetings between government agencies and the operators of U.S. critical infrastructure; Strategic Relations, which partners with and supports small businesses, academic institutions, nonprofit groups and state and local governments; and International Affairs, which coordinates meetings and information sharing with other countries and helps train their cyber experts.

Once the layoffs take effect, the four people said, SED will essentially consist solely of its small Sector Management unit, which oversees CISA’s work as a Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) for eight of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, including chemical facilities, communications and information technology.

Read more at Cybersecurity Dive