Layoffs, reassignments further deplete CISA

The Trump administration is pursuing twin strategies to shrink the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, laying off staffers and ordering others to either take new jobs elsewhere or leave the government.

The layoffs and forced relocations are the latest phase of the White House’s massive downsizing of CISA, which experts warn could further deplete the U.S.’s already weakened cyber-defense force. While the full consequences of the staff reductions remain unclear, they could include diminished support for critical infrastructure organizations and a reduced readiness to counter evolving nation-state and criminal threats.

The Department of Homeland Security has laid off 176 employees since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, according to a court filing, and a DHS statement indicated that CISA accounted for the bulk of those layoffs due to its past work combating election misinformation. “During the last administration, CISA was focused on censorship, branding and electioneering,” a spokesperson said. “This is part of getting CISA back on mission.”

Read more at Cybersecurity Dive