Mullin Says CISA Needs 600 Hires to Rebuild Agency
Summary
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said CISA needs about 600 hires and could take a year to rebuild. He cited China-related cyber threats, counter-drone technology and AI as priorities.
Key points
- CISA has lacked a Senate-confirmed director since January 2025; Mullin said the president has met with a potential nominee but did not name the person.
- Mullin said CISA needs about 600 new hires and may take roughly a year to rebuild, though he expects progress in the first three months.
- CISA has already started hiring and expects about 300 new employees in the coming months, according to Acting Director Nick Andersen.
- The agency lost about one-third of its workforce in layoffs; Democrats say the cuts weakened its ties with state governments and industry.
- Mullin identified China-related cybersecurity and data privacy threats, counter-drone technology and AI as priorities for the department.
Article Details
- Event Type
- CISA leadership and workforce rebuilding
- Impact
- CISA has lacked a Senate-confirmed director since January 2025. Markwayne Mullin said the agency needs about 600 new hires and may take about a year to rebuild; he said hiring cannot fully ramp up until a director is confirmed. Democrats said earlier layoffs weakened CISA’s ties with state governments and industry. Acting Director Nick Andersen said CISA has begun hiring and expects about 300 new employees in the coming months.
People
Markwayne MullinHomeland Security Secretary who discussed CISA’s staffing needs, rebuilding timeline, cybersecurity priorities, and threats from China at a congressional hearing.Nick AndersenActing CISA Director who said the agency had begun hiring and expected to employ about 300 new people in the coming months.Shyam SankarPalantir Technologies chief technology officer reported as a possible CISA director nominee; the article notes the White House said he was not a top contender at that time.