White House targets Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with $707M budget cut
White House targets Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with $707M budget cut
Publish Date: 2026-04-07 18:48:00
Source Domain: siliconangle.com
The White House has proposed cutting around $707 million from the budget of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in a move that would shrink the agency and refocus its mission around core cybersecurity operations.
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal 2027 budget request, the proposed budget would lower CISA’s annual funding from about $2.9 billion to approximately $2.4 billion.
The cuts are being targeted at programs tied to election security, misinformation and external engagement, as well as funding for state and local election infrastructure and efforts to counter disinformation.
DHS argues that the programs being cut are outside the federal government’s core responsibilities and that election security should be handled at the state level and that certain information-related efforts risk overreach.
Under the proposed budget, funding is instead being redirected away from coordination-heavy and public-facing initiatives toward more technical cybersecurity functions.
While the size of the cut is making headlines, the budget does preserve and prioritize spending on federal network defense and threat detection, with $1.4 billion being earmarked for cybersecurity activities. Those activities include protecting federal civilian systems and defending against nation-state threats as part of a shift toward what the administration views as CISA’s primary mission.
The budget cuts are also accompanied by a significant headcount reduction, with the number of staff employed by CISA expected to fall from around 3,700 employees to about 2,600.
The job cuts mostly affect divisions responsible for stakeholder engagement, international coordination and risk management, while core cybersecurity operations would see smaller reductions.
DHS also claims that the restructuring is an effort to eliminate duplicative or nonessential programs and improve efficiency, including adopting automation and a more streamlined operational…
