The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would have about a third of its staff continue working through a government shutdown, nearly double the number of employees compared to previous plans.
The Department of Homeland Security’s latest plan, updated on Sept. 25, shows CISA would retain 1,159 “excepted” employees in the event of a government shutdown. As of July, CISA had 3,401 on-board staff.
“Excepted” federal functions and activities are allowed to continue when government funding runs out. “Such functions and activities include those necessary to perform emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property,” DHS’ shutdown plan states.
DHS and other agencies are preparing for a potential government shutdown if Congress doesn’t pass new funding by midnight. As of Friday afternoon, House lawmakers were still negotiating a new stopgap spending measure.
In prior plans published in 2023, DHS had forecast that only about 577 CISA employees would continue working through a shutdown. The remaining 80% would have been furloughed, sparking concerns about the impact on U.S. cyber defenses.
CISA’s revised shutdown plans comes as the cyber agency helps lead the response to the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacks. CISA and the FBI continue to investigate the intrusions into U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier this week that the hack is “still going on,” despite being uncovered months ago.
While less CISA staff will be furloughed compared to prior plans, cyber experts remain concerned about how cybersecurity would be impacted during a shutdown.
“U.S. cybersecurity defenses would be critically weakened during a government shutdown,” Ilona Cohen, chief legal and policy officer at HackerOne, said in an email. “Limited staffing, including fewer cybersecurity personnel, would affect resources and expertise available to critical infrastructure sectors, curtail government’s ability to address reported vulnerabilities, stifle information sharing between government and the private sector, and hamper investigations into large-scale cyber incidents. Given the scale and urgency of cybersecurity threats, it is critical to avert the very real and potentially severe risks to national security and public safety.”
DHS shutdown plans
Beyond CISA, DHS’ overall shutdown plans remain largely unchanged from prior years. Most DHS employees, including airport screeners, Border Patrol agents and disaster response staff, continue to work through a government shutdown without pay.
Additionally, components like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are funded through fees and therefore are largely unaffected when Congress fails to fund the government.
Out of DHS’ 264,209 employees, only 29,985 would be furloughed during a shutdown, according to DHS’ latest plan.
At the Transportation Security Administration, for example, 59,000 out of its 62,000 employees are considered “essential” and will continue working without pay during a shutdown.
“We expect to screen 40 million people over the holidays and through Jan. 2,” a TSA spokeswoman told Federal News Network. “While our personnel have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure the security of our transportation systems, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.
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