Two key cyber laws are back as president signs bill to end shutdown

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a government funding bill that revives, at least temporarily, two major cybersecurity laws that lapsed at the end of September.

The measure, which ended a record 43-day government shutdown, includes provisions to reinstate the 2015 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Act, as well as the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, through January 30.

The 2015 CISA Act created antitrust and liability safeguards for private entities to share cyberthreat intelligence with the government, while the grant program has provided state and local governments with $1 billion in funds to improve their digital posture since 2022.

The short-term renewal of the threat sharing statute is sure to ease concerns among the policymakers and industry leaders who urged it to be extended long before the government shuttered or risk exposure to cyberattacks — though a key federal official said contact between the two sides remained steady through the shutdown.

Still, any sense of relief is fleeting as Congress must find a more permanent fix before another funding deadline.

In a statement, House Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) said the committee would “work alongside our colleagues in both the House and Senate to find long-term solutions for reauthorizing these vital” authorities.

Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, said the “impact of these programs for critical infrastructure owners and operators – and our national and economic security – cannot be overstated.”

“But this is only a short-term fix,” he added. “Congress must move quickly to enact longer-term reauthorizations to provide the continuity needed to defend and protect critical systems from growing cybersecurity threats.”