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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Noem fires two dozen FEMA employees over alleged cybersecurity gaps | |
By Gabe Cohen, CNN | |
Updated: | |
7:13 PM EDT, Fri August 29, 2025 | |
Source: CNN | |
Homeland Security Secretary has fired two dozen Federal Emergency | |
Management Agency IT employees, including top leaders, for allegedly | |
neglecting security protocols and compromising sensitive data. | |
A DHS press release Friday claims a routine cybersecurity review | |
uncovered major vulnerabilities that allowed a “threat actor” to | |
breach FEMA’s network. While the breach was detected before any | |
sensitive data was extracted, an investigation found that security | |
lapses enabled the intrusion, the release states. | |
CNN has reached out to DHS, which oversees FEMA, for more details. | |
Noem criticized FEMA’s IT leadership, calling their actions | |
“incompetence” and accusing them of downplaying the breach and | |
obstructing DHS efforts to resolve it. | |
“These deep-state individuals were more interested in covering up | |
their failures than in protecting the Homeland and American citizens’ | |
personal data, so I terminated them immediately,” Noem said in a | |
statement. | |
The firings quickly sent shockwaves through FEMA on Friday, with some | |
longtime officials describing the ousted leaders as “extremely | |
competent” and “highly respected.” | |
Noem and DHS officials have clashed with FEMA leadership for months as | |
the | |
DHS alleges the group resisted fixes, avoided inspections and lied to | |
officials about the extent of the cyber vulnerabilities. Failures cited | |
included a lack of multi-factor authentication, use of prohibited | |
protocols, and failure to address known security gaps. | |
The public firings mirror similar actions taken by Noem and DHS in | |
February. After Elon Musk tweeted that FEMA staff had illegally | |
distributed federal funds to New York City to house migrants, Noem | |
terminated four workers – including the agency’s highly respected | |
– saying the group had “effectively laundered” the funds and lied | |
to leadership. | |
A CNN investigation revealed a different story: FEMA staff had | |
repeatedly sought legal guidance and believed they were following the | |
administration’s orders. | |
DHS has also to more than a dozen high-ranking FEMA officials – | |
including its former Trump-appointed acting chief – in a hunt for | |
media leaks. | |
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