The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has fallen into a severe state of functional paralysis due to Trump administration downsizing policies, TechCrunch reported on Feb. 25 local time.
Lawmakers from both parties and industry leaders warned CISA has lost the ability to carry out its core missions and that it is at a level where it cannot respond to cybersecurity crises.
CISA’s workforce has shrunk by about one-third since the Trump administration took office, the report said. As a result, its ransomware response and programs supporting secure software development have been halted. With cuts even to the team responsible for election security, CISA’s functions are effectively at a standstill.
CISA reassigned hundreds of employees to support other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, a move tied to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policy. Industry officials said both the administration and Congress bear responsibility and pointed to a lack of leadership by acting director Madhu Gottumukkala (마두 고투무칼라) as a problem. Since Trump took office in 2025, CISA has been operating without a permanent director.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr