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 $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.

Though 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 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 model.

Not surprisingly, not everyone is happy with the proposed cuts. Critics argue that the reductions could weaken collaboration between federal, state and local entities and leave gaps in areas such as election security and information integrity.

“It appears that the White House wants CISA to focus solely on protecting the federal government’s computer systems and to leave states, local governments and private industry to fend for themselves,” John Bambenek, president at cybersecurity and threat intelligence firm Bambenek Consulting Ltd., told SiliconANGLE via email. “At a time when there are increased nation-state threats, that means less (or no) federal government help to protect society from hostile foreign governments.”

Matthew Hartman, chief strategy officer at cyber-focused investment company Merlin Group, said that “cutting $707 million from CISA would be a strategic mistake at exactly the wrong moment.”

“CISA is the connective tissue for federal civilian cyber defense and a key partner to critical infrastructure owners and operators,” added Hartman. “Weakening CISA weakens the entire ecosystem.”

Image: CISA