CISA Shrinks in 2025: What It Means for Cybersecurity Teams & Election

Okay, so headlines are screaming that CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) is getting slimmed down. But what does that actually mean—for the agency, private-sector cyber teams, and all of us relying on this stuff?

Let’s dig in, lay it out frankly, and figure out where we go from here.

What’s Actually Happening with CISA

Starting in early 2025, CISA went through a massive reshuffling. Acting director Bridget Bean froze election-security work while the agency was reviewed—you know, “countering misinformation” and all that. At the same time, reports say over 1,300 staff have left or been laid off, budgets got slashed by around $500 million, and key red‑team functions got hit hard darkreading.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1 en.wikipedia.org.

And meanwhile, Jen Easterly—the director praised for building trust and strong public‑private ties—stepped down on January 20, 2025 en.wikipedia.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3. So yeah, that’s not exactly a smooth transition.

Why People Are Concerned

So here’s the deal: CISA has been the go-to agency for the feds on cybersecurity. They coordinate intelligence sharing, advise state and local governments, and even run red-team operations. Shrinking all that isn’t just about budget numbers—it’s a capability hit.

Jake Williams, a veteran cyber guy, pointed out that smaller agencies—like the Department of Agriculture or local election boards—often relied entirely on CISA’s help. Now that’s partly gone darkreading.com. And when you lose those capabilities, you lose visibility into real threats. He said it’s like watching “a train wreck in slow motion.” Harsh, but you get the gist.

Public-Private Partnerships Are Taking a Hit

Trust between government and private sector has been built only over the past few years. Easterly did a lot to open that channel, but with her gone and CISA trimming, people are asking: will it stay? Will we get intel sharing from CISA the way we used to? Probably less of it en.wikipedia.org+3darkreading.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3.

It’s weird because Tom Parker—another expert—thinks this shift could open the door for private companies to pick up some slack. Think CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, and the big platform players. They can move faster and might not overclassify intel like the government does darkreading.com.

But even Parker admits: without CISA coordinating these efforts, it’s messy to line it all up across agencies and regions.

What About Election Security?

Here’s the kicker: CISA was big in election security—working with states, local governments, sharing info before votes got cast. That’s been frozen since early 2025 under an executive order and heavy review .

Now, small counties with no internal cybersecurity team are basically on their own. And most private vendors can’t just step in—they’re legally barred from giving free services to local governments en.wikipedia.org+4en.wikipedia.org+4darkreading.com+4. That feels like a national issue—even if you live in Podunk County, Wyoming.

What Happens to Red‑Teaming and Federal IT?

Those deep, hands-on security testing teams within federal agencies? Many got axed or path out darkreading.com. The ones that remain are overstretched, burned out, and worried they’re next. Jake says morale is way down .

That means even basic IT functions suffer—patching, network monitoring, institutional knowledge goes poof. You can’t secure things you don’t even know how they work.

The Silver Lining (Kind of)

Tom’s take: this shake-up could be a blessing in disguise. Private sector could step in more, taking over intel sharing, red‑teams, and advisory roles. They’re nimble and might be better placed to manage threat data than CISA, which often overclasses info darkreading.com.

There’s some hope the government money hasn’t disappeared—it’s just shifted. If it gets reallocated wisely, maybe CISA or another agency can rebuild that function. But that requires political will and smarter planning. So far, that hasn’t exactly been transparent or coordinated.

Bottom Line for Cyber Teams (Private or Public)

Federal roles are dying—but your skills aren’t. If you’re good, the private sector needs you and often pays more.
Upskill and diversify. AI, automation, higher-level blued vs. red teaming—these are where future jobs will live.
Expect growing pains. Without central coordination, expect gaps—especially in election security and smaller agency defense.
Private-public mix matters. Some functions might permanently move to private firms—but someone has to organize and fund it (that someone is probably the federal government).

What to Watch Next

Will CISA reallocate its budget smartly, or will this be a permanent erosion?
Who steps up to coordinate threat intel and election-sec outreach at scale?
Will private firms fill the gaps—with or without government partnership?

To be honest, this is a messy moment. A lot of trust and capability got chipped away quickly. But savvy people and companies will treat it like a reset. It’s a chance to build a more resilient, fluid ecosystem—if they seize it.

But if they don’t, we could very well wake up to significantly weaker cyber defenses for our government and communities.

🔍 CISA Is Shrinking—What Does It Mean for Cybersecurity?