You're all fired Trump admin fires security board investigating Chinese hack of large ISPs Dismantled Cyber Safety Review Board was investigating Salt Typhoon telecom hack. Jon Brodkin Jan 22, 2025 3:08 pm | 21 The helicopter with outgoing US President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden departs from the East Front of the United States Capitol after the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images The helicopter with outgoing US President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden departs from the East Front of the United States Capitol after the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe Department of Homeland Security has terminated all members of advisory committees, including one that has been investigating a major Chinese hack of large US telecom firms."The Cyber Safety Review Boarda Department of Homeland Security investigatory body stood up under a Biden-era cybersecurity executive order to probe major cybersecurity incidentshas been cleared of non-government members as part of a DHS-wide push to cut costs under the Trump administration, according to three people familiar with the matter," NextGov/FCW reported yesterday.A memo sent Monday by DHS Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman said that in order to "eliminate[e] the misuse of resources and ensur[e] that DHS activities prioritize our national security, I am directing the termination of all current memberships on advisory committees within DHS, effective immediately. Future committee activities will be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS's strategic priorities."The memo said advisory board members terminated this week "are welcome to reapply." The Cyber Safety Review Board's list of members included security experts from the private sector and lead cybersecurity officials from multiple government agencies.The review board previously investigated a 2023 hack of Microsoft Exchange Online, producing a report that called out "a cascade of security failures at Microsoft." More recently, it has been investigating how the Chinese hacking group called Salt Typhoon infiltrated major telecom providers such as Verizon and AT&T.DHS said advisory boards push agendasSalt Typhoon attackers stole call records for many telecom customers, and reportedly accessed calls and messages for Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other government officials. US Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was quoted by Reuters as saying that "disbanding the Cyber Safety Review Board while it's in the middle of investigating the most damaging breach of America's phone system in recent memory is a massive gift to the Chinese spies who targeted Trump, JD Vance and other top political figures."We contacted the Department of Homeland Security today, asking whether the Cyber Safety Review Board will be reconstituted and whether its work on Salt Typhoon will continue. The agency's public relations team didn't answer those questions but sent us a statement it attributed to an unnamed DHS senior official."Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will no longer tolerate any advisory committee[s] which push agendas that attempt to undermine its national security mission, the President's agenda or Constitutional rights of Americans," the DHS statement said.The Cyber Safety Review Board operates under the DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which has been criticized by Republican lawmakers for allegedly trying to "surveil and censor Americans' speech on social media."Democrat: Board will be stacked with Trump loyalistsA Democratic lawmaker said that Trump appears ready to stack the Cyber Safety Review Board with "loyalists." House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) made the criticism in his opening statement at a hearing today."Before I close, I would also like to express my concern regarding the dismissal of the non-government members of advisory committees inside the Department, including the Cyber Safety Review Board and the CISA Advisory Committee," Thompson's statement reads. "The CSRB is in the process of investigating the Salt Typhoon hack of nine major telecommunications companies, and it is a national security imperative that the investigation be completed expeditiously. I am troubled that the President's attempt to stack the CSRB with loyalists may cause its important work on the Salt Typhoon campaign to be delayed."Thompson said Republicans have been trying to shut down CISA over "false allegations and conspiracy theories." The conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 alleged that "CISA has devolved into an unconstitutional censoring and election engineering apparatus of the political Left."The DHS memo dismissing board members was published yesterday by freelance cybersecurity reporter Eric Geller, who quoted an anonymous source as saying the Cyber Safety Review Board's review of Salt Typhoon is "dead." Geller wrote that other advisory boards affected by the mass dismissal include the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board, the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, and the Secret Service's Cyber Investigations Advisory Board."The CSRB was 'less than halfway' done with its Salt Typhoon investigation, according to a now-former member," Geller wrote. The former member was also quoted as saying, "There are still professional staff for the CSRB and I hope they will continue some of the work in the interim."House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told Nextgov/FCW that "President Trump's new DHS leadership should have the opportunity to decide the future of the Board. This could include appointing new members, reviewing its structure, or deciding if the Board is the best way to examine cyber intrusions."Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 21 Comments