The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) faces another massive budget cut. President Trump's FY2027 budget proposal calls for a $707 million reduction – following significant cuts already made in the previous year.
Already Lost a Third of Its Workforce
During the first year of Trump's second term, CISA already lost millions in funding and approximately 1,000 employees – about a third of its entire workforce. The new budget describes the cuts as "refocusing CISA on its core mission."
What's Being Cut
- Disinformation programs: All programs focused on combating misinformation and propaganda to be eliminated
- External coordination: Offices for stakeholder engagement, international affairs, and council management to be shuttered
- School safety programs: Targeted programs deemed duplicative of existing state and federal efforts
Cuts Already Made
Many of the programs cited in the proposal were already axed in 2025:
- The Cyber Safety Review Board was dissolved on Trump's first day – while investigating China's Salt Typhoon hacks
- Funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) was cut by $10 million
- CISA's partnership with the Center for Internet Security, which provides free cybersecurity services to local governments, was terminated
Former Officials Sound the Alarm
A former CISA official told The Register: "If enacted, this would weaken the system for managing cyber risk, increasing the likelihood that preventable incidents escalate into disruptions affecting critical infrastructure and the services Americans depend on."
Context: Congress May Intervene
For FY2026, Trump had proposed cutting $491 million – Congress ultimately approved a reduction of only $135 million. It remains to be seen whether Congress will again temper the proposed cuts.
Sources: The Register (April 3, 2026), White House Budget Proposal FY2027