Trump administration considers $700 million cut to cybersecurity agency budget

The administration of Donald Trump is preparing a proposal to cut at least $707 million from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) budget for the 2027 fiscal year.

Details of the proposed reduction were released late last week as part of a broader omnibus budget plan that also includes measures such as the privatisation of airport security operations.

According to the administration, the planned reduction is intended to refocus CISA on its primary responsibilities, which include securing federal civilian networks and safeguarding critical infrastructure against cyber threats. The proposal states that the cuts would eliminate what it describes as "weaponisation and waste," while narrowing the agency's activities to its core mission.

The document also accuses CISA of "censorship," a claim that appears to refer to the agency's role in addressing misinformation during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which Trump lost. These allegations have been widely disputed and previously addressed in multiple reviews. In addition, the proposal outlines the removal of programs deemed redundant, such as certain school safety initiatives already managed at the state and federal levels.

Since beginning his second term in 2025, Trump and members of his administration have continued to repeat claims about CISA's involvement in censorship, despite those assertions being challenged and debunked. The administration has also publicly criticised individuals associated with the agency, including its first director, Chris Krebs, who Trump originally appointed.

This is not the first attempt to reduce CISA's funding. In the previous year, the administration proposed cutting nearly $500 million from the agency's budget, representing roughly 17% of its federal funding. That proposal faced resistance from lawmakers, who ultimately reduced the cut to approximately $135 million following negotiations.

If the current proposal is approved, CISA's total operating budget would drop to around $2 billion. Lawmakers and cybersecurity experts have expressed concern about the agency's capacity, noting that it has already faced significant challenges due to prior budget reductions, workforce cuts, and layoffs, which have resulted in the loss of hundreds of employees.

The agency has also been operating without a Senate-confirmed permanent director since Trump returned to office in 2025, raising additional concerns about leadership stability amid rising cyber threats.

Over the past year, the United States has experienced several significant cybersecurity incidents. These include a suspected Russian-linked breach of the U.S. Courts' filing system, cyberattacks attributed to Chinese actors targeting federal departments, and an incident in which Iranian hackers leaked personal emails belonging to Kash Patel.

The proposed budget cuts come at a time when cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, placing added pressure on federal agencies tasked with protecting national infrastructure and sensitive data.