Congress should reauthorize the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) for another decade and renew the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) to support state, local, territorial, and tribal governments.

A coalition of nearly two dozen major tech firms, including Google, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and others, urged White House and Congress to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity after the government shutdown.

The coalition recommends designating the Office of the National Cyber Director as the central authority for cybersecurity policy, accelerating AI-powered defensive tools adoption, and creating a new structure to replace the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council.

They warn of rising threats from state actors like China and Russia, point to recent cyberattacks on state and local governments across many states, and note adversaries’ use of AI-enhanced techniques to breach systems.

Policy asks include faster security procurements, uninterrupted contracting, filling critical vacancies, reinstating layoff protections for cybersecurity staff, and finalizing guidelines for post-quantum cryptography under the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act.

All these proposals unfold amid a broader political debate over federal cybersecurity staffing, funding, and leadership, including criticism of personnel decisions at FBI and Cyber Command.

The open letter describes four priority areas to bolster national cyber defenses: staffing and technology for security agencies, renewing existing programs, creating new frameworks, and boosting private-sector engagement.

It notes the Trump Administration’s shrinkage of the federal cyber workforce and budget, with impacts on agencies like CISA, NSA, and CyberCommand, and highlights Democrats’ calls to rehiring and stabilize cyberdefense staffing.