DHS cyber review board cleaned out in Trump move to eliminate ‘misuse of resources’

A Jan. 20 memo shared internally by DHS Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman said that current memberships on advisory committees in the agency would be terminated “effective immediately.” CSRB, alongside several other advisory bodies, has also been cleaned out as part of the announcement. NPR first reported that memorandum.

“In alignment with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security, I am directing the termination of all current memberships on advisory committees within DHS, effective immediately,” the memo read.

“Future committee activities will be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS's strategic priorities. To outgoing advisory board members, you are welcome to reapply, thank you for your service,” the internal notice continued.

The terminations will likely delay an ongoing CSRB investigation into the Salt Typhoon hacks, which involved a wide-ranging Chinese infiltration into a number of telecom providers in the U.S. and around the world. The hackers also targeted the communications of a number of high-profile political individuals, including people tied to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. 

Trump has promised to overhaul the government by dismissing those who are disloyal to his political agenda or were associated with the Biden administration. He signed a series of executive orders on Monday, his first day in office, focused on making government programs and spending more efficient and less “wasteful.” 

One of those people removed from CSRB was Chris Krebs, currently the chief intelligence and public policy officer at SentinelOne and the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Krebs was fired by Trump in 2020 after he said the results of that year’s presidential election were secure. 

Krebs and spokespeople in DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Nextgov/FCW, Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn. — chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee — noted that CSRB members were appointed by the previous CISA director and that “as with any new administration, President Trump is assembling his team.”

“Given the CSRB is tasked with investigating significant cyber intrusions — such as the Microsoft Exchange incident my committee examined last year — President Trump’s new DHS leadership should have the opportunity to decide the future of the Board,”  he added. “This could include appointing new members, reviewing its structure, or deciding if the Board is the best way to examine cyber intrusions.”

CSRB, which typically comprises private sector cyber experts and other national security officials, also investigated a separate major Chinese hack into the Microsoft email inboxes of major officials around the summer of 2023. 

“This is common with any new administration. It happened in the past, and it will happen again in the future,” said Brian Harrell, a former DHS cybersecurity official in Trump’s first term. “The Trump administration is looking to safeguard the country and mitigate risks rapidly, and this requires ideological synergies.”

This article has been updated to include a statement from House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green.