{"id":7262,"date":"2025-02-10T11:57:25","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T17:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=83447"},"modified":"2025-02-10T11:57:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T17:57:25","slug":"cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/02\/10\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say\/","title":{"rendered":"CISA election, disinformation officials placed on administrative leave, sources say"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><head> <meta charset=\"UTF-8\"> <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1\"> <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1\"> <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ --> <title>CISA election, disinformation 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can be submitted for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <a class=\"stickybar__link button button-tertiary\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cyberscoop50\/\">Click here!<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.525959367946\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"27.635467980296\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-misinformation-disinformation-administrative-leave\/\"> <span>Election Security<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The moves happened Thursday and Friday last week, per a source. <\/p>\n<p> <!-- Listen to this article section --> <!-- End of audio player --> <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say.jpg?resize=640%2C428&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-5.jpg 5737w, 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600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-5.jpg?resize=251,168 251w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-5.jpg?resize=504,337 504w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-5.jpg?resize=1010,675 1010w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-5.jpg?resize=1261,843 1261w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\"><figcaption> WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; JANUARY 28: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivers remarks to staff at the Department of Homeland Security headquarters on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta-Pool\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"71.319075144509\"><body readability=\"144.78608283364\"><\/p>\n<p>The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency placed several members of its election security group on administrative leave last week, multiple sources familiar with the situation told CyberScoop.<\/p>\n<p>According to one source, the moves happened Thursday and Friday of last week and were targeted at employees focused on CISA\u2019s mis-, dis- and malinformation teams. The moves include four employees currently working on or assigned to the team, two more that left the team in the past four years but still hold positions at the Department of Homeland Security, and another two that work on elections misinformation or disinformation at DHS.<\/p>\n<p>A second source confirmed that some, but not all members of CISA\u2019s election security team, were placed on leave last week.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The extent of the teams impacted by the decree is unclear. A third source told CyberScoop that a CISA-hosted event in Florida on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence was canceled at the last minute Friday, with the agency employee telling event planners they were being placed on leave. The individual said they had received notice of their impending leave that same day, according to text of the email shared with CyberScoop.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The decision to sideline DHS and CISA employees who previously or currently on mis- and disinformation happened the same week that Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/doj-disbands-foreign-influence-task-force\/\">moved to dissolve<\/a> the FBI\u2019s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was stood up in 2017 to counter efforts by countries like Russia, China, Iran and others from meddling in U.S. elections, often through online propaganda campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>When reached for comment, CISA\u2019s press office referred CyberScoop to DHS\u2019 Office of Public Affairs, which did not respond to multiple inquiries.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Politico first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/07\/trump-guts-cyber-workers-00203087\">reported<\/a> on the moves Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Kim Wyman, former Republican Secretary of State for Washington and former election security lead at CISA under the Biden administration, told CyberScoop that the impact of shuttering CISA\u2019s mis- and disinformation work will fall mostly on smaller election jurisdictions that are not immune from the impact of online propaganda, but lack the resources, funding or expertise to effectively confront it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s overwhelming for those medium and small-sized jurisdictions, and the federal government and specifically CISA played a really important role of leveling that playing field. That\u2019s the big void that\u2019s going to occur,\u201d Wyman said. \u201cThe larger jurisdictions are going to be able to pivot \u2026 but the small and medium counties were already struggling, and this is going to be a blow.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>CISA is the federal government\u2019s lead agency for engaging with states and other stakeholders on election security initiatives after the sector was declared critical infrastructure following the 2016 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, the agency\u2019s work focused heavily on leveraging its internal technical expertise to help states and localities identify and close off security vulnerabilities in election-related infrastructure, such as voting machines and voter registration systems.<\/p>\n<p>That work continues to this day, after leadership quickly realized that bad actors spreading false information to undermine faith in the American electoral system was a key strategy of countries like Russia and China.<\/p>\n<p>Following the 2018 midterms, CISA under then-Director Chris Krebs began exploring ways to coordinate messaging with state and local officials to raise awareness among the general public and push back on some of the biggest falsehoods. That included the use of clever marketing approaches \u2014 like a fictional debate about whether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/19_1008_cisa_the-war-on-pineapple-understanding-foreign-interference-in-5-steps.pdf\">pineapple belongs on pizza<\/a> \u2014 to illustrate how foreign counties exploit online anger and disagreement for their own ends.<\/p>\n<p>CISA\u2019s dis- and misinformation work has always been largely focused on foreign influence campaigns, but the 2020 election scrambled that approach when the campaign of then-Republican President Donald Trump \u2014 in an effort to stay in power following his loss to Democrat Joe Biden \u2014 began echoing many of the falsehoods about election hacks and vote-switching that CISA had spent the past two years debunking.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Things came to a head when Trump fired Krebs after he publicly refuted claims that the 2020 election was subject to massive fraud and insisted no such evidence existed. Krebs\u2019 assertion that the election was not stolen was validated through dozens of failed court challenges by the Trump campaign that failed to identify or overturn a single fraudulent vote.<\/p>\n<p>But the episode shattered the bipartisan support for CISA in Washington, and Republicans like House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, began attacking the agency\u2019s disinformation work as a form of censorship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration\u2019s stumbles around the issue \u2014 including a short-lived advisory board focused on disinformation that was quickly shuttered in the face of opposition on the left and right \u2014 only heightened those criticisms. Under CISA Director Jen Easterly, the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/u-s-election-officialwhack-a-mole-strategies-less-effective-to-combat-disinfo\/\">scaled back<\/a> its engagement with social media companies around disinformation in 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-moves-away-from-trying-to-influence-content-moderation-decisions-on-election-disinformation\/\">in the face<\/a> of court challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A Supreme Court decision last year <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/supreme-court-rejects-effort-to-limit-government-communication-on-misinformation\/\">concluded<\/a> that CISA\u2019s work with social media companies did not constitute government suppression of free speech, and Easterly has adamantly asserted that CISA never pressured or demanded that social media companies censor American speech.<\/p>\n<p>By 2024, conservative playbooks like Project 2025 that sought to guide Trump\u2019s second term <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/our-work\/research-reports\/project-2025s-plan-cybersecurity-agency-threatens-election-security\">were calling<\/a> for CISA to end all disinformation work and become less involved in supporting state and local elections. Newly confirmed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/dhs-secretary-nominee-kristi-noem-disinformation-misinformation\/\">told lawmakers<\/a> in her confirmation hearing that CISA\u2019s work has gotten \u201cfar off-mission\u201d and that \u201cthe misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and meddled with should be refocused back onto what their job is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wyman noted that some of the agency\u2019s work most controversial with Republicans, such as its interactions with social media companies, happened as election officials were adapting to an ongoing pandemic and dealing with widespread confusion from voters about basic voting procedures due to rampant mis- and disinformation online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time you had this onslaught of people making commentary about the election process on social media, and we were just trying to get the information out about the time, manner and place of the elections,\u201d Wyman said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Republican critics on the Hill have charged that CISA has become too focused on its disinformation mission, the agency still spends the bulk of its time on other missions, like protecting civilian federal networks. It appears to dedicate only a small fraction of its $3 billion budget to the problem.<\/p>\n<p>In a House hearing last month, Brandon Wales, former CISA executive director, was asked how much the agency spent on its disinformation work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast time we looked at this it was something less than $2 million,\u201d said Wales, adding that he did not believe the work detracted from CISA\u2019s other missions.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.1973898858075\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-1.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<div class=\"popular-stories__stories\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__cards\">\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \" readability=\"21.72619047619\">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/removal-cyber-safety-review-board-members\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"506\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-2.jpg?resize=506%2C337&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-md size-ratio-16-9-md wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-6.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Committee chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., and ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., speak to one another during a hearing with the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill on January 30, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\" readability=\"2.6456310679612\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/removal-cyber-safety-review-board-members\/\"> Removal of Cyber Safety Review Board members sparks alarm from cyber pros, key lawmaker <\/a> <\/h3>\n<p> Not everyone opposed the move, however, even as the board reviews the major Salt Typhoon telecom breach. <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/tim-starkscyberscoop-com\/\"> Tim Starks <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p><!-- .byline --> <\/header>\n<p><!-- .post-item__meta --> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/dhs-secretary-nominee-kristi-noem-disinformation-misinformation\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-3.jpg?resize=252%2C168&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-7.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill on Friday. (Photo by Eric Thayer\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/dhs-secretary-nominee-kristi-noem-disinformation-misinformation\/\"> Noem: No anti-disinformation, misinformation action under her as DHS secretary <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/tim-starkscyberscoop-com\/\"> Tim Starks <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p><!-- .byline --> <\/header>\n<p><!-- .post-item__meta --> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-darpa-software-understanding-gap-report\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"237\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-4.jpg?resize=237%2C168&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt=\"PHP\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg 2831w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=300,212 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=768,544 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=1024,725 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=1536,1088 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=2048,1450 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=600,425 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=237,168 237w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=476,337 476w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=953,675 953w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cisa-election-disinformation-officials-placed-on-administrative-leave-sources-say-8.jpg?resize=1190,843 1190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> (Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-darpa-software-understanding-gap-report\/\"> Closing software-understanding gap is critical to national security, CISA says <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/matt-bracken\/\"> Matt Bracken <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p><!-- .byline --> <\/header>\n<p><!-- .post-item__meta --> <\/article>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .popular-stories__stories --> <\/div>\n<p><!-- .popular-stories__inner 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