CISA launches new wave of job cuts

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is in the process of a major push to eliminate jobs, starting with a voluntary resignation program, part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce. 

CISA is now participating in workforce transition programs from the Department of Homeland Security, according to an agency spokesperson. These include the Deferred Resignation Program, the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment programs being offered to DHS employees.

The spokesperson at CISA did not specify how many workers have volunteered for these programs or provide details on the agency’s final cost-cutting goals, but Cybersecurity Dive previously reported the agency plans to eliminate up to 1,300 jobs. 

Sources familiar with the agency say the 1,300 figure is still the goal, but it remains unclear how long it will take to reach that number.

Among the programs expected to be most affected by the cuts is the agency’s Stakeholder Engagement Division, which is involved in domestic and international information sharing and collaborative partnerships. 

Rep. Eric Swalwell, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, wrote a letter to CISA’s Acting Director Bridget Bean on April 10 seeking a formal briefing on the expected cuts.

“It is difficult to convey in writing the full extent of my concern regarding the rumored plans to decimate CISA, but it suffices to say that upending an agency that plays such an important role in defending the homeland while keeping Congress in the dark is wholly unacceptable,” Swalwell wrote.  

Industry leaders have urged DHS and Trump administration officials to reconsider such drastic cuts due to the potential impact on the nation’s ability to mitigate cyber threats from nation-state and financially motivated threat groups.

“Reducing the federal government’s cybersecurity capabilities at a time when threats are increasing is not wise,”  Michael Daniel, president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, told Cybersecurity Dive. “Whether the threats stem from geopolitical conflicts, such as Chinese intrusions into our critical infrastructure, or from cybercrime, such as fraud or ransomware, significant reductions at CISA will make the U.S. more vulnerable and less safe.”

Cybersecurity workforce “less stable”

CISA was hit by at least 130 job cuts back in February as part of a DHS-wide elimination of 400 jobs. Those positions involved probationary workers as part of a federal government-wide effort to drop those roles. 

Rob Joyce, the former cybersecurity director at the National Security Agency, previously warned a congressional panel that cuts across federal agencies posed a serious risk to national security. He said the cuts would not only cause immediate harm but lead to an erosion of trust for potential talent who would then find the private sector more attractive.

“The recent layoffs at CISA have made the cybersecurity workforce less stable, further complicating efforts to secure critical infrastructure,” Grant Guyer, chief strategy officer at Claroty, said via email. “Losing skilled professionals due to job instability, especially with government roles not being as attractive as private sector positions, leaves the country more vulnerable to cyber threats.”