The Trump administration’s newly released Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal outlines a significant reduction to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which would slash nearly 30% of its workforce and cut nearly half a billion dollars from its operating budget.
If approved by Congress, the plan would mark the largest downsizing of the nation’s lead cyber defense agency since its creation in 2018, reducing its staff from 3,732 to 2,649 and trimming $495 million from its budget.
Deep cuts across critical divisions
Recently released budget documents reveal significant proposed reductions to the CISA, with sweeping implications across its key divisions.
The Cybersecurity Division, responsible for securing federal networks and protecting critical infrastructure, faces a proposed $216 million cut (18%) and the elimination of 204 positions. The Stakeholder Engagement Division would also take a severe hit, with a 62% funding reduction ($62.2 million) and 127 jobs eliminated.
The National Risk Management Center (NRMC), which assesses threats to critical infrastructure such as power grids and transportation systems, is slated for a 73% cut—$97.4 million—and the loss of 70 positions.
CISA’s Integrated Operations Division, which coordinates regional support for businesses and local governments, would see a $46.2 million (20%) reduction. Meanwhile, regional operations teams, vital to on-the-ground cybersecurity efforts, would lose $36 million, approximately 27% of their current budget.
Additionally, 301 currently vacant positions would remain unfunded.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the job cuts include departures already underway through a voluntary Workforce Transition Program.
“CISA will maintain this reduction and will only backfill mission-critical positions, ensuring that essential functions continue to be supported while optimizing the workforce through these voluntary programs,” a DHS statement noted.
Key programs on the line
Several high-profile CISA programs are poised for steep reductions under the proposed budget:
- Cyber Defense Education and Training would be cut by $45.4 million, with the administration suggesting that users can instead rely on free resources.
- Vulnerability Assessments would face a $30.8 million cut, shifting focus to only the most critical threats.
- The Joint Collaborative Environment would be reduced by $36.5 million.
- The Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative would lose $14 million.
Cybersecurity services provided to government agencies would be scaled back by $19.7 million. One of the most dramatic cuts targets election security, eliminating all 14 positions and the entire $36.7 million in funding.
“CISA, under the last administration, got involved in being somewhat of the role of the ministry of truth.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a congressional hearing last month, defending the election-related cuts. “They were defining what was misinformation, disinformation… and deciding what was truth and what wasn’t truth”
Uncertainty ahead in Congress
While the budget outlines the administration’s vision for CISA’s future, it’s ultimately up to Congress to decide what makes it into law. And although Republicans currently control both chambers and the White House, bipartisan concerns have been raised about weakening America’s cyber defenses.
At a recent hearing, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, voiced concerns: “Given the growing cybersecurity threat landscape… I’m concerned that reducing system staff will not help CISA accomplish the mission of providing cybersecurity to the people that need it.”
For now, the Trump administration is doubling down on its plan to narrow CISA’s mission and cut what it considers “duplicative” or “non-core” operations.
As Congress prepares for budget negotiations, the cybersecurity community will be watching closely to see whether lawmakers approve, resist, or reshape these proposed cuts.
