Over 1,000 Employees Departed CISA Since Trump Administration Began

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the U.S. government’s frontline civilian cybersecurity force, has lost nearly one-third of its workforce—roughly 1,000 employees—since the start of the current Trump administration, according to multiple sources and internal communications.

This exodus, driven by buyouts, early retirements, and layoffs, has left the agency with approximately 2,200 to 2,600 staffers, a stark reduction from its previous strength of over 3,700.

The departures include many top-level and mid-level career officials, as well as key technical and operational personnel.

Notably, the agency’s Cybersecurity Division—responsible for monitoring federal networks for intrusions and providing defensive services—has lost about 200 to 250 staff, reducing its size from 1,100 to as few as 800 employees.

The workforce cuts coincide with a proposed 17% to 30% reduction in CISA’s budget, with the Trump administration seeking to slash $495 million from its operations in fiscal year 2026.

Accordring to the report,The proposed cuts target critical programs such as the Joint Collaborative Environment (JCE), the National Risk Management Center (NRMC), and the Cyber Defense Education and Training initiative.

Funding for continuous diagnostics and monitoring (CDM) tools, as well as CyberSentry, would also be reduced, limiting CISA’s ability to detect and respond to threats in real time.

Technical and Operational Impact:

The departures and funding cuts threaten the agency’s ability to fulfill its core mission: defending federal networks, supporting critical infrastructure operators, and responding to cyber incidents.

CISA’s Cybersecurity Division (CSD) is responsible for key technical functions, including:

• Continuous Diagnostics and Monitoring (CDM): Automated tools that provide real-time visibility into federal network security postures and vulnerabilities.
• CyberSentry: A program that monitors industrial control systems (ICS) for signs of compromise.
• Joint Collaborative Environment (JCE): The platform for analyzing threat and incident data across agencies and partners.
• National Risk Management Center (NRMC): Focuses on analyzing and predicting threats to critical infrastructure, such as power grids and water utilities.

The loss of technical expertise and operational staff is expected to result in fewer threat alerts, reduced cybersecurity reviews at under-resourced critical infrastructure sites, and diminished incident response capabilities.

Industry leaders warn that these cuts will make it harder for CISA to counter threats from nation-states and cybercriminals, including advanced persistent threats (APTs), ransomware, and credential stuffing attacks.

Leadership and Programmatic Shifts:

The workforce reductions have also triggered a leadership vacuum. Virtually all of CISA’s senior officials have left, including key figures from the Secure by Design initiative, the Cybersecurity Division, and international partnerships.

Recent departures include:

• Lauren Zabierek and Bob Lord: Oversaw the “Secure by Design” initiative.
• Matt Hartman: Deputy director of the Cybersecurity Division.
• Lisa Einstein: Chief AI officer, resigned in February.
• Boyden Rohner: Assistant director of Integrated Operations Division, took early retirement in April.

To fill the void, CISA has begun appointing new senior leaders.

Madhu Gottumukkala, former CIO at South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology, is now the agency’s deputy director.

Kate DiEmidio, previously vice president of government affairs at Dragos, has joined as legislative affairs chief.

A Critical Juncture for U.S. Cyber Defense

The exodus of talent and resources from CISA comes at a time of escalating cyber threats, including attacks on critical infrastructure and election systems.

While the Trump administration frames the cuts as a strategy to refocus CISA on its core mission, cybersecurity experts warn that the agency’s diminished capacity will leave the nation more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

As CISA navigates this pivotal moment, all eyes are on the Senate confirmation hearing for Sean Plankey, Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, and the incoming leadership’s ability to maintain U.S. cyber resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges

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