The federal government shut down at midnight on September 30, and with it, America’s cybersecurity defenses just took a significant hit. For communications leaders at cybersecurity companies, this isn’t just another news cycle, it’s a critical moment to establish your organization as a trusted voice when government agencies have gone silent.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will operate with only 35% of its workforce during the shutdown, furloughing roughly two-thirds of its 2,540 employees, according to Department of Homeland Security shutdown planning documents. This comes on the heels of significant workforce reductions earlier this year, when approximately 1,000 CISA employees were cut through layoffs, deferred resignations and early retirements, and an estimated $1.23 billion in cyber spending was trimmed across civilian agencies as of July 2025.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Experts warn that nation-state adversaries and cyber criminals pay attention to these developments and are eager to exploit security vulnerabilities created by thinned federal defenses. Security journalist Andy Greenberg of Wired shared screenshots on LinkedIn reportedly from the Lapsus$ ransomware gang, celebrating the government shutdown as a disruption to FBI investigations tracking them.
Three Strategic Moves for Cybersecurity Communications Leaders
- Position Your Technical Experts as Interim Trusted Voices With government cybersecurity officials largely unavailable, journalists need authoritative perspectives. Prep your CTO, CISO, or threat intelligence leads for media opportunities. Create rapid-response protocols for emerging incidents. Develop clear, jargon-free messaging that fills the educational role government typically plays—and stay explicitly non-political.
- Amplify Your Threat Intelligence and Guidance Organizations relying on government advisories are now operating blind. Fill this void by publishing more frequent threat briefings, sharing technical indicators more openly, and creating simplified guidance for under-resourced teams. Partner with industry groups to ensure coordinated threat information sharing continues. Strike the right tone: helpful and authoritative, not opportunistic.
- Demonstrate Leadership in Protecting Critical Infrastructure Critical sectors rely heavily on CISA for threat coordination, so resources are now significantly diminished. Offer practical resources like webinars, threat briefings, and technical documentation to ensure security protections remain intact. Document your contributions for future brand building, but lead with service, not self-promotion.
The Bottom Line
Uncertain times test an organization’s character and capabilities. This moment offers cybersecurity companies a chance to demonstrate resilience, expertise, and genuine commitment to the community during challenging conditions.
When government operations resume, companies that led during this time will have built stronger stakeholder relationships, deeper media connections, and enhanced credibility. Most importantly, you’ll have helped protect organizations and infrastructure when they were most vulnerable.
What to do now?
Step in with care, not noise. We’ll help you guide people through the hard moments. This isn’t about spotlighting your brand. We can help you show up with honesty and guidance when people need it most.