The Trump administration should reverse cyber personnel and budget cuts, strengthen the Office of the National Cyber Director and expand federal workforce initiatives, the successor organization to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommended in a report published Wednesday.
The annual implementation report from CSC 2.0 is the first of five iterations to actually determine that the nation has gone backward on enacting the agenda of the landmark bipartisan commission, whose suggestions led to the creation of major new federal organizations and policies, including the national cyber director’s office.
In grading the degree to which its 2020 report had been enacted — whether they’re “implemented,” “nearing implementation,” “on track,” “progress limited” or facing “significant barriers” — the percentages dropped in every category, after years of rising or staying steady.
“Our nation’s ability to protect itself and its allies from cyber threats is stalling and, in several areas, slipping,” states the report, in a passage written by former chairman Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and executive director Mark Montgomery. “This year’s assessment makes clear that technology is evolving faster than federal efforts to secure it. Meanwhile, cuts to cyber diplomacy and science programs and the absence of stable leadership at key agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the State Department, and the Department of Commerce have further eroded momentum.”
The Trump administration’s federal budget cuts haven’t spared cyber agencies and missions. President Donald Trump has restructured State Department cyber work and eliminated a public-private panel devoted to critical infrastructure information sharing. Meanwhile, his nominee to lead CISA is still awaiting Senate confirmation.
The first recommendation in Wednesday’s report is to enhance the power of the national cyber director, who “still lacks the positional authority and interagency relationships needed to enforce decisions across the government,” the report observes. For instance, it can review agency budget submissions but can’t align cyber investments across departments.
Two of the report’s recommendations suggest restoring the sliced CISA budget and workforce and restoring the State Department Bureau of Cyberspace and Diplomacy. Another recommends undoing the elimination of the public-private panel, the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council.
The fifth recommendation is to expand the talent pool of the cyber workforce and improve retention. On that count, the report notes, Trump administration rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have shrunken the talent pipeline.
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The annual implementation report recommends reversing Trump administration budget cuts, empowering the national cyber director and other steps.
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