Federal Purge Threatens National Security

A former federal cyber official warned lawmakers Wednesday that Trump administration actions could leave the U.S. vulnerable as foreign adversaries such as China embed themselves in critical infrastructure.

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Mass firings of federal probationary civil servants instigated by the Department of Government Efficiency will “destroy a pipeline of top talent responsible for hunting and eradicating [Chinese-linked] threats,” said Rob Joyce, a long-time National Security Agency official who served cybersecurity coordinator on the National Security Council during the first Trump administration. He testified before a House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party panel examining Beijing-directed hacking.

“Now is not the time to dial back on our cyber capabilities,” he said. Chinese hackers appear to have intensified cyberespionage campaigns and efforts to infiltrate American critical infrastructure, including successful efforts to penetrate U.S. telecom networks and government agencies.

“I want to raise my grave concerns that the aggressive threats to cut U.S. government probationary employees will have a devastating impact on cybersecurity and national security,” Joyce told the panel. The DOGE-controlled Office of Personnel Management on Feb. 14 instructed federal agencies to dismiss probationary federal employees – recently hired or promoted civil servants not yet protected by the full set of government employment rights.

A San Francisco federal judge in late February cast doubt on the legality of a directive and ordered a handful of civilian agencies to reinstate personnel.

Even if cybersecurity civil servants are not eliminated, “the pervasive uncertainty and doubt in the current environment are forcing them to seek secure opportunities for their families outside national security,” Joyce said. At least 130 staffers from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were let go during a mid-February round of cuts to the federal workforce pushed by DOGE and Trump advisor Elon Musk in a multi-pronged effort to slash the federal workforce and budget.

Experts have long warned of a massive public- and private-sector cyber workforce gap, with at least 500,000 vacancies across the country needed to strengthen defenses against threats from China, North Korea, Iran and Russia. Trump’s second-term cyber agenda remains unclear, as reports suggest the Pentagon is halting offensive cyber operations against Russia and key appointments, such as ex-Republican National Committee official Sean Cairncross – who lacks cybersecurity experience, raising concerns about leadership.

Joyce described the probationary employees he met during his tenure at the NSA as “remarkable technical talent” and said they were being forced to take more stable jobs outside of national security due to the “pervasive uncertainty and doubt in the current environment.”