Orders to steer clear of firing cybersecurity personnel have been given by the Trump administration to federal agencies as mass layoffs are planned in a bid to reduce government spending, according to Reuters.
Cybersecurity workers have been exempted from dismissals because of their importance in maintaining national security, said Federal Chief Information Officer Greg Barbaccia in an email. "We are confident federal agencies will be able to identify efficiencies across their non-cyber mission areas without negatively affecting their agency's cyber posture," the Barbaccia email read.
This development comes weeks after former National Security Agency (NSA) Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce warned about the "devastating" effects of sweeping federal workforce cuts on cyber and national security. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has also reported the loss of over 130 positions within the agency as of Feb. 14.
Other cybersecurity concerns have also risen from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which critics claim has obtained excessive government systems access.
