LAS VEGAS— Is narrowing the scope of federal cyber defense making the country safer? A Trump‑appointed official and a former National Security Agency cybersecurity chief offered contrasting views at the Black Hat conference here on Tuesday.

Marci McCarthy, who oversees public affairs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , said the agency is refocusing on its “core mission” as its footprint and workforce is scaled back.

But Rob Joyce, who led the National Security Agency’s cybersecurity division, argued that trimming those federal cyber functions risks leaving the U.S. exposed amid intensifying efforts by nation‑state hackers and cybercriminals.

Almost one-third of the CISA's workforce has left or been laid off since the Trump administration began, driven by a c

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