Trump Administration Cybersecurity Funding Cuts of $495M from CISA

Despite a surge in cyber threats, the Trump Administration is reportedly planning to cut cybersecurity funding. Trump’s team is aiming to shrink cybersecurity spending.
According to CybersecurityDive, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 cybersecurity budget proposal would cut $495 million from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and eliminate nearly 30% of its workforce, marking a major rollback of the nation’s primary cyber defense efforts. Under the plan, critical infrastructure entities and small businesses stand to receive reduced support.
Trump Administration Proposes $495M in Cybersecurity Funding Cuts Despite Growing Threats
The funding cuts are part of what officials describe as an attempt to narrow CISA’s focus. But critics are already raising red flags, especially given the agency’s central role in defending government systems and critical infrastructure.
“The $495 million cut would slash $216 million, or 18% of current funding, from CISA’s Cybersecurity Division, which leads efforts to protect government networks and help defend critical infrastructure,” CybersecurityDive reported.
The proposed cybersecurity cuts come as the FBI reports ransomware attacks have doubled since 2023 and nation-state hackers are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure. The FBI IC3 report shows ransomware remained the top threat to critical infrastructure in 2024, with complaints up 9% from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity Division, which leads efforts to protect federal networks, would lose $216 million—about 18% of its current funding. The Integrated Operations Division, which works directly with businesses and local governments, would see a 20% cut, or $46.2 million.
Some units face even sharper reductions. The Stakeholder Engagement Division, which manages partnerships with infrastructure organizations, is set to lose $62.2 million, wiping out 62% of its budget. The National Risk Management Center, responsible for analyzing and forecasting threats, would be hit with a 73% reduction, losing $97.4 million.
CISA’s regional teams, often the agency’s boots on the ground, aren’t spared either. Their funding would drop by $36 million, roughly 27%.
The proposal also takes aim at procurement, cutting $68.9 million from upgrades to tools like Continuous Diagnostics and Monitoring and CyberSentry—platforms that help detect and respond to cyber threats.
In total, 1,083 jobs would be eliminated, shrinking CISA’s headcount to 2,649. That includes 204 cybersecurity roles, 327 from operations, 218 from administrative support, and 127 from stakeholder engagement.
Several of CISA’s high-impact programs are on the chopping block. The Joint Collaborative Environment, which helps make sense of threat data, would lose $36.5 million. The Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative would lose $14 million. And CISA’s broader cybersecurity services to government agencies would be cut by $19.7 million.
Training and education programs also take a hit. The Cyber Defense Education and Training initiative would lose $45.4 million, with the administration suggesting users turn to free alternatives. Vulnerability assessment funding would be cut by $30.8 million, with the budget emphasizing a shift to “cost-effective solutions.”
The Stakeholder Engagement Division would see 120 jobs disappear, along with $36.5 million in operational funds. That would eliminate teams supporting advisory councils and international cooperation efforts, many of which were already targeted on day one of Trump’s term.
In line with the administration’s earlier decision to scrap CISA’s election security work, the new budget would cut $36.7 million in funding and 14 positions related to that mission.
About 301 currently vacant positions across divisions would be removed, alongside confirmed departures from the agency’s workforce transition program. That includes 119 roles from the cybersecurity team, 23 from operations, and 87 in support functions.
The move comes at a time when cybersecurity threats are increasing, not receding. Whether Congress approves these cuts remains to be seen, but the message from the administration is clear: CISA’s role is being redefined.
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