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Nominee and senators press DHS cybersecurity posture after Treasury and K–12 hacks; Noem calls for CISA refocus
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Summary
Kristi Noem and multiple senators discussed recent cyber intrusions, the role of CISA and a federal grant program for state and local cybersecurity. Noem said CISA should "hunt and harden," criticized alleged mission creep into misinformation work and said she would evaluate grants that increase administrative costs.
Cybersecurity and the role of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency led a sustained exchange during the Jan. 17 hearing.
Senators asked how DHS would protect federal networks and state and local systems after recent incidents. Senator Gary Peters cited an alleged infiltration of the Treasury Department by Chinese-based hackers and referred to large-scale espionage campaigns against U.S. telecommunications firms. He said schools and small local governments have also suffered ransomware and extortion attacks, citing a recent attack on PowerSchool, a cloud-based records system.
Noem said the mission of CISA “is to hunt and harden,” and told the committee she believed the agency had “gotten far off mission” by engaging in misinformation and disinformation efforts. “They the misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and and meddled with, should be refocused back onto what their job is,” Noem said.
On grants, Noem described why South Dakota did not participate in a federal cybersecurity grant program: she said the administrative requirements and costs of the program would have required growing state government capacity, and she said her state already funded cybersecurity priorities through Dakota State University partnerships. Senators asked Noem to work with Congress on adjusting the program so funds reach small governments and schools without excessive administrative overhead.
Lawmakers also discussed threats from nation-state actors, including references in the hearing to espionage campaigns labeled in testimony as “Salt Typhoon” and “Veil Typhoon.” Senators asked Noem how she would strengthen information-sharing and interagency coordination; she said DHS must break down silos and work with the FBI, CIA and other agencies, and emphasized partnerships with state and local governments.
The committee asked for follow-up details on resource priorities and on how Noem would measure CISA's effectiveness; Noem said she would evaluate grant programs and reorient CISA to technical assistance and hardening critical infrastructure if confirmed.
