Most CISA staff to be furloughed in the event of a government shutdown

SecurityWeek reports that more than 80% of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency employees would be furloughed should a failure to reach a funding bill agreement result in a government shutdown. "Following notification of the lapse in appropriations, the non-exempt CISA staff will need four business hours to complete an orderly cessation of all other activities," said the Department of Homeland Security. While most government workers involved with cybersecurity are likely to be exempt from the staffing reductions, such exemptions are not applicable to contractors, who mostly conduct agencies' tactical security operations, according to IANS Research's Jake Williams. Meanwhile, Symmetry Systems Federal Chief Technology Officer Landen Brown noted the adverse impact of a possible government shutdown on federal cybersecurity. "Many cyberspace operators will be absent from critical operations, and those remaining Tier 1 personnel will be tasked with doing the mountainous job of many, often without pay. Today, our adversaries recognize this," Brown said.