In Atlanta, the US government has decided to significantly reduce federal funding for two key cybersecurity programs, including one that assists state and local election officials. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will withdraw approximately $10 million in annual funding from the Center for Internet Security, a nonprofit organization, as confirmed by a CISA spokesperson.
This decision marks another step by the Trump administration to limit federal involvement in ensuring election security, raising concerns about weakening the safeguards against potential foreign interference in US elections. CISA had previously begun evaluating its activities related to election security, which resulted in many of its election-focused staff members being placed on administrative leave. Earlier, the administration had also dismantled an FBI task force that was dedicated to investigating foreign influence operations targeting US elections.
Election security experts, such as Larry Norden from the Brennan Center for Justice, have expressed significant concern over these recent developments, fearing impacts on the integrity of future elections. In light of the 2020 presidential election and misinformation around the coronavirus, CISA had faced considerable criticism from Republican quarters. However, the agency maintained that its activities were focused on engaging with states to counter misinformation spread on social media platforms.
When asked about the conclusion of their internal review, CISA stated it was intended to guide future actions in supporting critical infrastructure and that the review would not be made public. The initiatives affected by the funding cuts include the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, both managed by the Center for Internet Security.
These cuts mean that the support previously provided, such as cyber threat intelligence and cyber incident response, is no longer funded, which CISA claims will allow the agency to focus on its core mission and eliminate overlap. Following CISA’s decision, the Center for Internet Security announced that it would no longer support the election-specific initiative. Efforts to gauge the impact of these cuts by reaching out to the Center for Internet Security went unanswered.
The National Association of Secretaries of State, representing top election officials from across the nation, is seeking clarity from CISA regarding this recent move and the findings from its election-specific review. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, heading the bipartisan group, shared that they have yet to conclude their review, but expressed the utility of CISA’s past services.
CISA, functioning under the Department of Homeland Security, operates with its own Senate-confirmed director, a position still awaiting nomination by President Trump. Established in 2018 under the Trump administration, CISA’s mandate is to protect vital infrastructure, encompassing everything from dams and power plants to banking systems and election security.
The National Association of State Election Directors is also looking to the Center for Internet Security for insights into how the funding cuts will impact its cybersecurity operations. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, previously heading the election information sharing initiative, highlighted the vital role it played during the last presidential elections, allowing proactive defense against cyber threats. Bellows expressed the critical importance of this initiative amidst growing cyber threats, deeming the cuts inefficient and perilous.
