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US Government Shutdown Enters 40th Day as Cybersecurity Funding Bill Advances
The US government shutdown is nearing its end, with a short-term funding bill advancing to the Senate floor for further debate. The bill includes provisions to restore critical cybersecurity programs and extend the expiration date of two critical cybersecurity laws: the CISA Act and FCEA. Without the restoration of these laws, companies would be left to fend for themselves against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. A compromise has been reached on a healthcare tax credit dispute, providing some hope for progress on the bill. The bill reinstates federal government employees terminated during the shutdown and ensures they receive backpay. Despite promising developments, cybersecurity experts remain cautious about the prospects for the bill due to critical weaknesses in the country's cybersecurity posture.
The US government's ongoing shutdown, which has now lasted for 40 days and is the longest in history, appears to be nearing its end. As of November 10th, 2025, a short-term funding bill that includes provisions to restore critical cybersecurity programs has advanced to the Senate floor for further debate before a final vote later this week. The bill, which will now advance to the House of Representatives for approval and then on to President Trump for his signature, is seen as a major development in efforts to bring an end to the shutdown.
At the heart of the bill are measures that would extend the expiration date of two critical cybersecurity laws: the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA Act) of 2015 and the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (FCEA). Both laws have lapsed just as the federal government shut down on October 1, and their restoration is seen as crucial to maintaining the country's cybersecurity posture.
The CISA Act, which was passed in 2015, provides private companies with permission to share threat indicators with the federal government. This sharing of information is critical to helping identify and mitigate potential cyber threats. Without this law, companies are left to fend for themselves against the increasingly sophisticated and targeted attacks that have become more common in recent years.
The FCEA, on the other hand, codifies federal network security rules and provides a framework for ensuring that government agencies and private sector organizations take adequate steps to protect their networks from cyber threats. The law also requires agencies to share threat information with each other and with the private sector, which is critical to helping identify and respond to potential threats.
The restoration of these laws is seen as a major victory for cybersecurity advocates, who have been pushing for their passage for months. However, the bill's prospects are far from certain, and there are still many hurdles that must be overcome before it can become law.
One of the main sticking points in the negotiations over the bill has been a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over healthcare tax credit subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The dispute has held up attempts to pass resolutions that would reopen the government, sans these subsidies. However, a compromise reached by Senator Kevin Kaine (D-VA) and other Democratic senators has provided some hope for progress on the bill.
According to Kaine, the bill does more than just restart lapsed cybersecurity measures and frozen programs. It also reinstates all federal government employees who were terminated during the shutdown, including those at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Additionally, it ensures that furloughed federal workers receive backpay and puts a pause on any additional federal government reductions in force.
Despite these promising developments, many cybersecurity experts remain cautious about the prospects for the bill. They note that the government shutdown has highlighted critical weaknesses in the country's cybersecurity posture, including inadequate funding for CISA and other agencies responsible for protecting national security networks.
"Contractors would face payment delays, modernization projects are frozen, and digital transformation momentum is stalling precisely when organizations need to be preparing for AI, quantum, and rapidly evolving cyber threats," Timothy Amerson, a former federal government CISO and current advisor at GuidePoint, noted in an interview. "It's like the entire country has been put on pause while everyone waits to see what happens next."
In conclusion, the critical federal cybersecurity funding set to resume as shutdown nears its end marks a significant development in efforts to bring an end to the longest-ever US government shutdown. While there are still many hurdles to overcome before the bill can become law, the restoration of the CISA Act and FCEA provides a crucial step towards strengthening the country's cybersecurity posture.
US Government Shutdown Enters 40th Day as Cybersecurity Funding Bill Advances
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Critical-Federal-Cybersecurity-Funding-Set-to-Resume-as-Shutdown-Nears-Its-End-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/10/federal_cybersecurity_funding_set_to_resume/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/10/federal_cybersecurity_funding_set_to_resume/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsayegh/2025/11/10/government-shutdown-ending-soon-but-cybersecurity-bills-still-coming-due/
Published: Mon Nov 10 13:12:01 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
