CISA acting director praises industry ties as Trump administration cuts partnership bodies

Acting director praises partnership model

Nick Andersen, the acting director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said on Tuesday that the agency's public-private partnerships are the most critical aspect of its mission. Speaking at a virtual public sector cyber resilience summit hosted by infosec firm Rubrik, Andersen said CISA does not see everything on its own and is not a law enforcement agency, intelligence agency or regulator. He argued that the agency's mission cannot succeed without intelligence and insight from other government agencies, international partners and the private sector.

Andersen described the approach as "all carrots and partnerships," pointing to programs like CISA's CI Fortify initiative for building resilient critical infrastructure. The comment came despite a series of moves by the Trump administration that dismantled many of the agency's industry collaboration channels.

Partnership bodies disbanded

Among the first programs eliminated was the Cyber Safety Review Board, a public-private body created by the Biden administration. The Trump administration also shuttered the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board, the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the US Secret Service Cyber Investigations Advisory Board, all of which brought government and private players together on cybersecurity goals. Some of those bodies have since been re-established or reformed under new names, a process that has consumed time and money.

In late 2025, CISA also terminated funding for and ties to the Center for Internet Security. One of the affected bodies was the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a public-private partnership that shares threat intelligence and filters essential alerts down to the local government level.

Staffing and budget cuts

CISA's workforce has been reduced considerably, with around a third of the agency's headcount, about 1,000 people, departing since Trump returned to office. CISA has committed to rehiring around 300 employees, but the administration's most recent budget request proposes eliminating an additional 900 positions at the agency, along with slashing nearly a billion dollars from CISA's 2027 budget.

Agency response

When asked about the contradiction, CISA pointed to initiatives such as its reformed councils, CI Fortify and nationwide cybersecurity exercises hosted with industry partners to test cyber resilience. A spokesperson said the agency works with critical infrastructure owners and operators to secure both the physical security and cybersecurity of systems and assets that support essential services, and that regional teams assess risks, help bolster defenses and respond promptly to threats. With many outreach employees and general staff still missing, however, Andersen's claims ring hollow as further budget and staffing cuts loom, and the price could be unprepared critical infrastructure.

Sources: The Register