US cybersecurity agency CISA reportedly in dire shape amid Trump cuts and layoffs

Source: TechCrunch

Image Credits: Samuel Corum / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Report Summary

U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA is reportedly in dire shape, according to bipartisan lawmakers and industry leaders who fear that the agency’s ability to perform its core mission has been diminished and left it unprepared for a cybersecurity crisis. The assessment is based on interviews conducted by Cyberscoop’s Tim Starks with sources across Congress, the private cyber industry, and beyond.

Staff Reductions

• Over the past year, CISA has lost roughly one‑third of its staff, affecting programs, personnel, and expertise.
• Cuts have impacted the agency’s counter‑ransomware initiative and efforts to promote secure software development.
• Several members of the election security team were among those affected, as reported by TechCrunch last year.

Reassignments

CISA reassigned hundreds of staffers to other Department of Homeland Security agencies as part of the administration’s broader immigration crackdown.

Leadership Challenges

• Acting director Madhu Gottumukkala has been criticized for struggling to lead the agency and for causing security headaches, according to multiple sources.
• The agency has been without a permanent director since Trump entered office in 2025.

Current Operations

CISA is operating at approximately 38 % staff levels amid a partial U.S. federal government shutdown that began on February 14. Lawmakers have declined to continue funding federal immigration authorities following criticism after the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.

When reached for comment, Gottumukkala told TechCrunch that the agency “remains unwavering in its commitment to protect our federal networks from malicious cyber threat actors despite the multi‑week government shutdown” of Homeland Security.