On Tuesday, the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the new US president, the Department of Homeland Security notified members of several advisory committees that they had effectively been fired.
Among the affected boards is the Cyber Security Review Board (CSRB), according to sources familiar with the board who spoke to TechCrunch and other news outlets. The CSRB is comprised of both private sector and government cybersecurity experts.
One person familiar with the CSRB, who received a letter informing him that his membership in the CSRB would be revoked, criticized the decision.
“It was terribly short-sighted to shut down all DHS advisory committees without considering the implications,” the official, who requested anonymity, told TechCrunch. “Suspending the CSRB review at a time when China continues its cyberattacks on our nation’s critical infrastructure is a dangerous blunder. We must learn from the Salt Typhoon and better protect ourselves. The fact that it's not a priority for President Trump is telling.”
“You can't stop what you don't understand. CSRB gave us understanding,” the official added.
The person was referring to the CSRB's investigation into recent devastating breaches at several U.S. telecommunications companies allegedly carried out by Chinese government hackers.
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CISA spokesperson Valerie Mongello referred TechCrunch's request for comment to DHS, which did not respond to requests for comment.
“In line with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to eliminate the misuse of resources and ensure that the Department’s activities prioritize national security, I am pleased to announce that the current “I order all members to be fired immediately,” the paper said. Letter sent to CSRB members.
Another person familiar with the matter said, “It's interesting that the rationale for this is “abuse of resources,'' since the salaries of all advisory members…are irritatingly high, at $0.''
Katie Moussouris, a cybersecurity expert with more than 20 years of experience and former member of the CSRB, told TechCrunch: I look forward to filling these important advisory board vacancies with the most qualified individuals without delay. ”
The CSRB investigated a breach of the US government's email system provided by Microsoft, which was also allegedly carried out by Chinese government hackers. Last March, the commission released a report on the incident, which was widely praised in the cybersecurity community.
Other DHS advisory committee members reportedly affected by the DHS decision include those dedicated to artificial intelligence, telecommunications, science and technology, and emergency preparedness.