FEMA IT Staff Fired Over Cybersecurity Failures, DHS Reveals – mezha.net
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
As highlighted by CNN
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the firing of nearly two dozen FEMA IT specialists, including division heads, over alleged security protocol violations and a threat to sensitive data.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a routine cyber-security review uncovered serious vulnerabilities that could have allowed an attacker to breach FEMA’s internal network. Although no data breach occurred, the investigation confirmed a lack of proper security controls and risk management.
According to DHS, the IT department leaders allegedly resisted fixes, evaded inspections, and misrepresented the extent of known vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the absence of multi-factor authentication and the use of prohibited security protocols.
“These deep-state officials were more interested in hiding their failures than in protecting the homeland and the personal data of U.S. citizens, so I fired them immediately.”
According to DHS, the IT division group allegedly resisted fixes, dodged inspections, and lied about the extent of discovered vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the lack of multi-factor authentication and the use of prohibited security protocols.
In February 2025, similar personnel decisions had already been applied to FEMA leadership after a public announcement about the allocation of federal funds; several employees were dismissed, including the agency’s chief financial officer.
An independent journalistic investigation also found that some FEMA employees sought legal assistance and claimed they acted in accordance with orders from the administration during the incident.
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