CISA Workers Recalled Despite Shutdown

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has told furloughed workers to report to work despite an ongoing funding lapse.

See Also: New Trend in Federal Cybersecurity: Streamlining Efficiency with a Holistic IT Approach eBook

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials in recent days directed all furloughed personnel return to work on their next scheduled shift, amid increasing concerns from cybersecurity analysts, industry groups and lawmakers about an extended degradation of federal cyber defenses due to the shutdown (see: CISA Forced Into Reactive Cyber Posture Amid Shutdown).

The recall, first reported by Cyber Dive, orders “all DHS employees, excepted and non-excepted” return to a paid duty status, even as Congress has yet to resolve a funding standoff that began in mid-February.

A departmental spokesperson said the agency is moving to restore its full workforce after nearly eight weeks of furloughs that left tens of thousands of employees unable to work.

“Secretary Mullin will be utilizing available funding to recall the entire DHS workforce to get our patriotic employees back to work,” the spokesperson said, adding that back pay is already being processed.

The sudden staffing changes follow months of warnings that CISA had been reduced to a largely reactive footing, with only mission-essential personnel continuing operations while proactive threat hunting, vulnerability management and long-term resilience work slowed or stopped. Former federal cybersecurity officials and public sector cyber experts have warned that the reductions in staff and lack of technical talent create compounding risks across federal systems and critical infrastructure operators. The White House additionally proposed major cuts to the CISA fiscal year 2027 budget (see: Trump’s Budget Proposal Would Slash CISA After Bruising Year ).

The shutdown stems from a political dispute over the Trump administration’s immigration and enforcement practices. Multiple current and former leaders of the agency have repeatedly warned in congressional testimony that the U.S. cyber defense agency cannot sustain its operations with such a reduced workforce.

Those calls have only intensified in recent days as the shutdown stretched into its second month, with warnings that the agency’s reduced capacity was coinciding with increased geopolitical tensions and a heightened targeting of U.S. critical infrastructure.

DHS confirmed that employees will receive back pay covering the early weeks of the shutdown, though future compensation remains tied to congressional action. Even with workers returning, analysts have warned that the damage to CISA’s mission components may take longer to unwind – particularly as paused programs, delayed assessments and reduced engagement with state and local partners has created potential gaps.