CISA Planned to Kill .Gov Alerts. Then It Reversed Course.

The United States’ top cyber defense agency reversed a decision Tuesday to stop posting cybersecurity alerts and guidance on its website after announcing 24 hours earlier that it would favor the X social media platform.

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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Monday it planned to scale back the steady stream of alerts posted to its cybersecurity advisories webpage, refocusing the site on “urgent information tied to emerging threats or major cyber activity.” The page has served as a source of real-time updates for the private sector and stakeholders while offering insights into the agency’s work at a time when it faces staffing threats, budget cuts and shifting mission priorities (see: Planned CISA Cuts Face Political Delays and Growing Backlash).

The agency reversed course Tuesday afternoon, acknowledging that its earlier announcement “caused some confusion in the cyber community.” CISA said the move to stop sharing public advisories was intended to “enhance user experience,” but it has now paused those changes to reassess how best to communicate with stakeholders.

CISA has long urged Americans to rely on government websites for information on issues ranging from election updates in battleground states to weather and disaster-related disruptions to critical resources. The agency has also issued joint advisories and public service announcements with the FBI and other international partners warning of foreign disinformation tactics while directing the public to official .gov sources.

A CISA staffer granted anonymity to discuss the change before the reversal occurred said the move risked making the agency appear “less active and essential” as the administration pushes for sweeping budget cuts (see: White House Proposes $500 Million Cut to CISA).

“It just seems like another way to hide the work we’re doing here every day, despite everything,” the staffer said.

The initial announcement urged readers to “stay informed” by following the agency on X “for timely cybersecurity updates.” Although the announcement stated that future cyber alerts would appear on both social media and email, it only listed CISA’s account on X.

If it follows through on relying heavily on X – formerly Twitter – to disseminate its communiques, CISA would join other federal agencies who have decided to lean on the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, who has led efforts to slash the size of government agencies in recent months. Most significantly, the Social Security Administration said X will become its main “communication mechanism,” the Federal News Network reported.

The CISA announcement provoked concerns that switching to X would limit public access to information on zero-day exploits, active threat campaigns, major vulnerabilities and emergency directives.

The agency is already the object of mounting bipartisan concern over its ability to counter growing threats from foreign adversaries like China amid the possibility that it could lose nearly one-third of its workforce. The Trump administration has proposed a $500 million cut to its budget.

Bridget Bean, a senior official now serving as acting director while President Donald Trump’s nominee awaits Senate confirmation, told a congressional committee in early May that the agency is “eliminating duplication and increasing efficiency” as lawmakers pressed her on how CISA could remain effective under such deep cuts (see: CISA’s Acting Director Defends Cuts Amid Growing Turmoil).

In the past month alone, the agency has used the webpage to announce more than half a dozen industrial control systems alerts, new additions to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities and warnings of threat actors increasingly targeting operational technology. CISA also announced the release of joint guidance with the FBI on its cybersecurity advisories page calling on organizations to disconnect OT from the public internet, as well as secure remote access and segment IT and OT networks (see: OT Systems Exposed to Basic Hacks, CISA Warns).

A CISA spokesperson told Information Security Media Group the agency paused its reversal to reassess the best path forward, after initially acting to improve user experience. The spokesperson declined to say whether the agency has concerns about using private social media platforms, email and RSS feeds for critical cybersecurity alerts, or if it still urges Americans to rely on .gov websites for verified federal information during elections, weather events and other emergencies.