The federal government has scaled back a key cyber stakeholder division, leaving states and counties at risk of communication and support gaps.
According to an article from Smart Cities Dive, the federal government has essentially dismantled a key division within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that connects federal cybersecurity operations with state and local governments, private industry, and critical infrastructure sectors. Nearly 100 employees have been laid off from CISA’s Stakeholder Engagement Division, which will result in a significant reduction of long-standing collaboration with local governments, health systems, and other entities.
From the article:
These reductions continue a pattern of weakening the US government’s ability to carry out its cybersecurity responsibilities and hindering its ability to interact with the private sector, said Michael Daniel of Cyber Threat Alliance.
The Division has played a vital role in coordinating cybersecurity planning, training, and information sharing across levels of government and with international partners. Once the cuts take effect, three of the Division’s four units will be left without staff, effectively halting many of these partnerships.
Counties provide and operate essential services, and downsizing federal operations could mean fewer communication channels, less technical support, and slower federal coordination during cyber incidents. As local governments continue to face increasingly sophisticated attacks, the loss of these partnerships may make protecting residents and critical infrastructure even more challenging.
