DHS Secretary Noem: CISA needs to get back to ‘core mission’

At RSAC 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem outlined a “back-to-basics” plan to refocus CISA on protecting critical infrastructure—especially against threats from China—while moving away from prior misinformation and election security roles. She emphasized improved interagency information sharing, clear state and local incident response frameworks, and leveraging federal procurement to enforce secure-by-design products, alongside restructuring advisory bodies (e.g., reforming CIPAC and noting the CSRB’s shutdown); she also highlighted balancing federal oversight with state-level innovation and setting guardrails for AI.