
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has terminated all advisory committee memberships, effective immediately, as announced by Acting Secretary Benjamine C. Huffman on January 20, 2025. The decision aims to realign DHS activities with national security priorities and eliminate resource misuse.
Notable among the disbanded committees is the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), established in February 2022. The CSRB had previously released significant reports, including:
– A critical analysis of Microsoft’s security failures in the Storm-0558 breach (2023)
– Investigation of Apache Log4j vulnerabilities (2022)
– Assessment of LAPSUS$ cybercrime group activities (2023)
The board was reportedly investigating cyber attacks on U.S. telecom providers linked to Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon when terminated.
Other disbanded advisory committees include:
– Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board
– Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council
– National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
– National Infrastructure Advisory Council
– USSS Cyber Investigations Advisory Board
Senator Ron Wyden criticized the decision, suggesting it benefits Chinese cyber espionage efforts and may be retribution against Microsoft. Additionally, President Trump has revoked the previous administration’s executive order on AI safety, which promoted secure and trustworthy AI development.
The future structure and operations of these investigatory bodies remain unclear under the new administration.