Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has set her sights on overhauling the operations of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Addressing a packed audience at the 2025 RSAC Conference, she articulated plans to safeguard essential infrastructure from advanced threats, particularly from China. This direction marks a shift from previous leadership approaches, which were criticized for deviating from CISA’s fundamental mission. Noem’s focus on recalibrating CISA highlights the need for efficient defense mechanisms in a rapidly evolving cyber landscape.
Kristi Noem’s remarks at the conference point to an administrative pivot. CISA’s past involvement in managing misinformation and election security faced scrutiny following an executive order from President Donald Trump. Chris Krebs, who formerly led CISA, played a substantial role in countering false electoral claims during the 2020 elections, while CISA developed informational resources to debunk misleading narratives. Today’s announcement sharply contrasts with policies under previous administrations that aimed to manage misinformation by assigning CISA an active role in ensuring election integrity.
What Changes Are Envisioned for CISA?
A principal aspect of Noem’s agenda involves redefining CISA’s mission to emphasize cybersecurity over misinformation control. She insisted that CISA’s engagement with election-related misinformation was inappropriate and outside its fundamental responsibilities. The current administration aims to restore CISA’s original focus on protecting critical infrastructure systems from breaches and infiltration while enhancing agency cooperation and information exchange at government levels.
How Will Technology Procurement Change?
Noem’s approach includes leveraging Homeland Security’s purchasing power to set new standards for technology procurement. The intent is to integrate security features at the design stage, avoiding costly retrofit solutions later. This policy is relevant as federal agencies promote “secure by design” practices, encouraging regional bodies to adopt more robust cybersecurity frameworks while balancing oversight and innovation roles.
What Is the Future of CISA’s Advisory Bodies?
The restructuring of advisory bodies like the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council is another aspect of Noem’s reform plan. According to Noem, the goal is to enhance these entities by encouraging more actionable insights from a diverse set of stakeholders. Although specific details on other groups remain scant, the ongoing transformation reflects a broader aim towards heightened participatory governance in cybersecurity.
The overarching objective of Kristi Noem’s agenda is to strengthen national cybersecurity by re-aligning CISA to its foundational priorities. By enhancing collaboration between federal and state levels, and reforming technology practices, she aims to build a more secure digital infrastructure. The policy shifts convey a broader commitment to mitigate risks and harmonize efforts between public and private sectors, ensuring systems remain resilient against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
