The Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials
The Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officialsA spot that had been reserved for a representative of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency sits vacant at a meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors in Washington, Feb.
2, 2025. The Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials., known as CISA, has ended about $10 million in annual funding to the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, a CISA spokesperson said in an email Monday.CISA announced a few weeks ago that it was conducting a review of its election-related work, and more than a dozen staffers who have worked on elections. That followed an administration move to disband an FBI task force focused on investigating foreign influence operations, including those that target U.S. elections. “I have grave concern for state and local election officials and for the security of our elections going forward,” said Larry Norden, an election security expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU’s School of Law.When asked Monday if the review of CISA’s election work was complete and if the agency could share a copy of the report, an agency spokesperson said it was an internal review to “help inform how the agency moves forward to best support critical infrastructure” and was not planned for public release. The two cybersecurity initiatives facing cuts are the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which included state and local election officials along with representatives of voting system manufacturers, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which has benefited state, local and tribal government offices.The activities no longer being funded include cyber threat intelligence, cyber incident response and engaging with state and local government officials. In a statement, the agency said ending the funding will help "focus CISA’s work on mission critical areas, and eliminate redundancies.” Following CISA’s decision, the Center for Internet Security posted a notice online that it was no longer supporting the election-specific initiative. A spokesperson for the Center for Internet Security did not respond to questions sent by email about the effects of the cuts. The National Association of Secretaries of State, comprised of top state election officials from across the country, was seeking information from CISA about the move and its recent election-specific review, said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who is president of the bipartisan group. Simon said he was waiting for more information before drawing conclusions. He said the group’s executive board recently sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging CISA to continue services to state and local election officials, including support for the election information sharing center.CISA falls under the Department of Homeland Security, although it has its own Senate-confirmed director. President Donald Trump has yet to nominate someone as CISA director. The agency was formed in 2018 during the first Trump administration and is charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, from dams and nuclear power plants to banks and voting systems. A spokesperson for the National Association of State Election Directors said the group was hoping to learn more from the Center for Internet Security about the effect of the federal cuts on its operations. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who served as chair of the executive committee for the election information sharing initiative, said it provided crucial support during last year's presidential election. Election officials were reporting malicious cyberattacks and sharing important details in real time, which she said allowed Maine to preemptively block those attempting to target her state's networks. “We will find a way to protect our elections," said Bellows, a Democrat. "But given the sophistication of these threats, the elimination of the is both inefficient and extremely dangerous.”
Politics Elections Washington News General News U.S. News Technology Article 119651023
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump 2nd term live updates: Musk 'not gaining anything' from DOGE, Trump tells Baier'In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it,' the president said.
Read more »
Trump's $TRUMP Cryptocurrency Sparks Ethical and Regulatory ConcernsThe launch of the $TRUMP cryptocurrency, tied to former President Donald Trump, has attracted attention for its potential to enable illicit financial activity and raise ethical questions. Despite the lack of evidence linking Trump to market manipulation, the coin's rapid price changes and the involvement of potentially anonymous actors have raised concerns about market manipulation and the possibility of foreign governments influencing the president through indirect financial means.
Read more »
Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump to announce tariffs on steel and aluminumThe president is in New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl.
Read more »
Mary Trump Issues Warning on What's Becoming 'Clear' About Trump Admin'It's becoming increasingly clear that the Trump regime is turning away from our allies in order to embrace our enemies,' the president's estranged niece said.
Read more »
Mary Trump Issues Warning as Donald Trump Admin Enters 'New Territory'The president's estranged niece condemned FBI director Kash Patel on Friday, raising concern over the new state of the federal agency.
Read more »
Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump admin says Musk's email order is voluntaryTrump on Monday said there was a 'lot of genius' behind Musk's proposal.
Read more »