In a dramatic shift in cybersecurity policy, the White House has proposed cutting nearly half a billion dollars from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), arguing the agency has lost sight of its core mission and become entangled in political overreach.
The $491 million budget reduction, outlined in documents sent to Congress, is being framed as an effort to “refocus” CISA on defending critical infrastructure rather than pursuing what the administration describes as “censorship and waste.”
According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the proposed budget eliminates programs and offices involved in monitoring misinformation and foreign influence operations, particularly those categorized as “external engagement” initiatives. These include CISA’s international affairs unit and efforts to counter propaganda, which officials argue have been misused to infringe on free speech rights.
OMB Director Russell Vought characterized the agency as part of a so-called “Censorship Industrial Complex,” accusing CISA of targeting protected speech, promoting its own image, and drifting from its cybersecurity mission.
“CISA became more about managing narratives than managing threats,” the White House stated in its justification for the sweeping cuts. “The agency’s attention has been diverted from its fundamental role—defending the country’s critical systems—by a focus on speech control and bureaucratic inefficiencies.”
Echoing that sentiment, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to the RSA Conference stage to confirm a full review of CISA’s organizational structure, staff, and priorities is underway. She emphasized that while the agency won’t be dismantled, it will undergo a strategic overhaul.
“We are not eliminating CISA,” said Noem. “But we are bringing it back to what it was designed to do—hunt threats and harden systems. That’s the mission the American people count on.”
As part of the restructuring, CISA’s efforts will be redirected to provide deeper cybersecurity support for vulnerable public-sector entities—namely federal agencies, state and local governments, and small businesses that often lack internal cyber resources.
The budget proposal lands at a turbulent time for the agency. CISA has recently experienced high-profile layoffs, abrupt contract changes—including a last-minute renewal of its MITRE-managed CVE program—and the cancellation of key partnerships with security vendors. These developments have raised concern across the cybersecurity community about the future stability of U.S. cyber defense coordination.
While the proposed cuts still need congressional approval, they signal a major political and operational pivot. Whether this new direction will strengthen or weaken national cybersecurity defenses remains a subject of intense debate among lawmakers, industry leaders, and civil liberties advocates alike.
