US freezes foreign aid, halting cybersecurity defense and policy funds for allies
(2025/01/27)
- Reference: 1738016217
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/27/us_state_department_freezes_cyber_aid/
- Source link:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all foreign aid cash for a full-on government review, including funds to defend America's allies from cyberattacks as well as steer international computer security policies.
The pause applies to "all US foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and US Agency for International Development" while these programs undergo a probe to "ensure they are efficient and consistent with US foreign policy under the America First agenda," according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative
"President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people," Bruce [1]said in a Sunday statement.
"Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative," she continued. "The Secretary is proud to protect America's investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas."
The directive follows President Donald Trump's [2]executive order issued last week that, among a ton of other cuts to Biden-era programs, paused foreign aid for 90 days pending reviews "for programmatic efficiency and consistency" with US policy.
[3]
This includes State Department money funneled to the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP), according to The Record, [4]citing "two people familiar with the matter."
[5]
[6]
CDP is an agency within the State Department, which was [7]formed under the Biden administration in April 2022 and tasked with negotiating international cybersecurity policies and working with allies to improve privacy protections and responses to digital threats.
This work has previously included funneling [8]millions of dollars to Costa Rica and [9]Albania following [10]cyberattacks on those two nations' governments; the money was intended to be spent on shoring up those countries' IT defenses.
[11]
The State Department did not immediately respond to The Register 's inquiries, including which cyber-related programs and funding have been halted, and how this move supports homeland security, which increasingly involves strong digital defenses around the globe.
[12]Infosec was literally the last item in Trump's policy plan, yet major changes are likely on his watch
[13]US State Department launches cyber and digital policy strategy
[14]Uncle Sam reveals it sent cyber-soldiers to Albania to hunt for Iranian threats
[15]CISA: Wow, that election had a lot of foreign trolling. Trump's Homeland Sec pick: And that's none of your concern
Also over the weekend, the Senate [16]confirmed former South Dakota Governor [17]Kristi Noem to lead the US Department of Homeland Security by a 59-34 vote. During her confirmation hearing, Noem indicated she would make cuts to America's top cybersecurity agency.
Homeland Security oversees the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, aka CISA, and both Noem and Trump have taken issue with CISA's efforts to combat misinformation online — especially as it relates to foreign trolls trying to influence US elections.
"CISA's gotten far off mission," Noem, a Republican, said during questioning by senators. "They're using their resources in ways that was never intended. The misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and meddled with should be refocused back onto what their job is." ®
Do you know more about what's happening inside the US government following the President's latest orders? Let us know [18]in confidence .
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.state.gov/implementing-the-presidents-executive-order-on-reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/trump_eliminates_biden_ai_order/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://therecord.media/cyber-diplomacy-funding-halted-freeze-on-foreign-aid
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/us_cyber_strategy/
[8] https://cr.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-25-million-to-strengthen-costa-ricas-cybersecurity/
[9] https://al.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-u-s-ambassador-yuri-kim-at-the-cyber-security-challenges-in-albania-conference/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/18/albania_down/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/trump_cyber_policy/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/us_cyber_strategy/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/24/us_hunt_forward_albania/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/18/cisa_election_security_isnt_political/
[16] https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/25/us-senate-confirms-kristi-noem-secretary-homeland-security
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/23/trump_noem_homeland_security
[18] https://www.theregister.com/Profile/contact/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The pause applies to "all US foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and US Agency for International Development" while these programs undergo a probe to "ensure they are efficient and consistent with US foreign policy under the America First agenda," according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative
"President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people," Bruce [1]said in a Sunday statement.
"Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative," she continued. "The Secretary is proud to protect America's investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas."
The directive follows President Donald Trump's [2]executive order issued last week that, among a ton of other cuts to Biden-era programs, paused foreign aid for 90 days pending reviews "for programmatic efficiency and consistency" with US policy.
[3]
This includes State Department money funneled to the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP), according to The Record, [4]citing "two people familiar with the matter."
[5]
[6]
CDP is an agency within the State Department, which was [7]formed under the Biden administration in April 2022 and tasked with negotiating international cybersecurity policies and working with allies to improve privacy protections and responses to digital threats.
This work has previously included funneling [8]millions of dollars to Costa Rica and [9]Albania following [10]cyberattacks on those two nations' governments; the money was intended to be spent on shoring up those countries' IT defenses.
[11]
The State Department did not immediately respond to The Register 's inquiries, including which cyber-related programs and funding have been halted, and how this move supports homeland security, which increasingly involves strong digital defenses around the globe.
[12]Infosec was literally the last item in Trump's policy plan, yet major changes are likely on his watch
[13]US State Department launches cyber and digital policy strategy
[14]Uncle Sam reveals it sent cyber-soldiers to Albania to hunt for Iranian threats
[15]CISA: Wow, that election had a lot of foreign trolling. Trump's Homeland Sec pick: And that's none of your concern
Also over the weekend, the Senate [16]confirmed former South Dakota Governor [17]Kristi Noem to lead the US Department of Homeland Security by a 59-34 vote. During her confirmation hearing, Noem indicated she would make cuts to America's top cybersecurity agency.
Homeland Security oversees the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, aka CISA, and both Noem and Trump have taken issue with CISA's efforts to combat misinformation online — especially as it relates to foreign trolls trying to influence US elections.
"CISA's gotten far off mission," Noem, a Republican, said during questioning by senators. "They're using their resources in ways that was never intended. The misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and meddled with should be refocused back onto what their job is." ®
Do you know more about what's happening inside the US government following the President's latest orders? Let us know [18]in confidence .
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.state.gov/implementing-the-presidents-executive-order-on-reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/trump_eliminates_biden_ai_order/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://therecord.media/cyber-diplomacy-funding-halted-freeze-on-foreign-aid
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/us_cyber_strategy/
[8] https://cr.usembassy.gov/united-states-announces-25-million-to-strengthen-costa-ricas-cybersecurity/
[9] https://al.usembassy.gov/remarks-by-u-s-ambassador-yuri-kim-at-the-cyber-security-challenges-in-albania-conference/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/18/albania_down/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5gQCx54Ytz0ztFCF7UeowAAABc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/trump_cyber_policy/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/us_cyber_strategy/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/24/us_hunt_forward_albania/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/18/cisa_election_security_isnt_political/
[16] https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/25/us-senate-confirms-kristi-noem-secretary-homeland-security
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/23/trump_noem_homeland_security
[18] https://www.theregister.com/Profile/contact/
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Welcome to new russia!
Omnipresent
Any questions as to what side they are on? They are career felons and criminals, running an international crime syndicate. They have zero understanding of anything at all except the smell of money and power.
In the long run, Europe might be better off, if it forces European leaders into self sufficiency, which this is likely to do.
Do not trust these people for any reason at all. They are treasonous snakes. Criminals at large, under the guidance of Putin and friends.
America is up to their necks in horse chit.
Congratulations....
IGotOut
...on handing China an easy win.
I guess he's not to clued up on soft power.
In other news, Trump threatens Greenland, so Denmark is to spend over a billion dollars on beefing up Artic defence. And I doubt it will be using US hardware.
Re: Congratulations....
Omnipresent
China was able to pull that off with the help of meta... so there's that.
The US has a couple of old nuke sites on Greenland. That, and it makes him look good to his monkey constituents. I would not doubt that he goes after Greenland at all. He CAN for one. It will keep everyone busy whole he's committing international felonies for two, and it will puff up the chests of the (God help them) voter base three. It is also more than likely a directive from frumpy's daddy in the kremlin.
If it makes you feel better, I also would not doubt that Alaska winds up in russia's hands before this is over.
Funny how Kremlin and criminal are so alike.
It's mind-boggling that people like Noem (or Rubio) can talk about these issues with any authority.
Unless their authority comes from the Christo-Fascist coven of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Federalist Society which are all riddled with Catholic wing-nuts and supported by filthy-rich plutocrats from the US and everywhere.
Oh, I guess it makes sense when I think about it.
Welcome Dark Ages, dear old friend.
Here we go again.