Trump's workforce cuts blamed as America's cyber edge dulls

"The commission's 2025 Annual Report on Implementation finds that only 35 percent of its original 82 recommendations have been fully implemented - down from 48 percent a year ago. Another 34 percent are "nearing implementation", and 17 percent "on track," but this marks the first time in the body's five-year history that the US has actually lost ground on cyber reform."

"The report says the rollback has hobbled CISA's capacity to scale early-warning systems, partner with industry, and maintain trust with the private sector. Diplomatic cyber capacity has also eroded, the report warns, citing deep cuts to the State Department's science and capacity-building programs and the continued absence of a Senate-confirmed leader for its Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Those functions were seen as vital for projecting US cyber power abroad and coordinating with allies against hostile state activity."

""The United States faces a pivotal decision point," the commission writes. "It is up to the administration and Congress to seize this opportunity to secure the gains of the past five years; reinforce its cyber deterrence posture; and send a clear signal of capability, intent, and continuity to its adversaries." It warns that adversaries are innovating faster than Washington can respond, and that previous gains could quickly evaporate without renewed investment."

Only 35 percent of 82 original cyber recommendations have been fully implemented, down from 48 percent a year earlier. Another 34 percent are nearing implementation and 17 percent are on track, marking the first five-year decline in progress on cyber reform. Workforce cuts and funding shortfalls at critical agencies, particularly CISA, have weakened its mandate to protect critical infrastructure and limited scaling of early-warning systems, industry partnerships, and private-sector trust. Diplomatic cyber capacity has eroded due to deep cuts to State Department science and capacity-building programs and the absence of a Senate-confirmed leader for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Adversaries are innovating faster than Washington can respond, and previous gains could quickly evaporate without restored funding and staffing.

Read at Theregister