CISA head says agency must change quickly to prevent the 'worst that could happen'
Acting CISA Director Nick Andersen warned of US cyber vulnerabilities and said the agency is refilling staff cut to about half strength.
Speaking at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit, acting CISA Director Nick Andersen warned that decades of bad decisions, overwhelming technical debt, outdated technology and AI-driven threats could lead to devastating cyber incidents without rapid, significant changes. He said the agency has about 250 screened hires awaiting security clearances after losing roughly a third of its staff to DOGE-related cuts and attrition, and referenced a June pledge by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to refill about 600 CISA jobs. Andersen called AI a gamechanger, citing daily headlines about rogue AI agents and an Anthropic researcher leaving over model safety concerns.
- CISA has 250 hires awaiting security clearances, targeting 600 refills
- Andersen flagged technical debt and AI agent risks to infrastructure
- Hiring prioritizes operational, cybersecurity, infrastructure and emergency communications divisions
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From the original article
2 min read at therecord.mediaCISA's cybersecurity, infrastructure security and emergency communications divisions are among the priorities as the agency fills vacancies created at the beginning of the Trump administration, acting director Nick Andersen says.
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