How Trump Left America Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
Experts worry that the water-system hacks may be a warm-up for attacks on the elections in November.
In 2025, when Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was asked about strengthening the nation's cyberdefenses during her confirmation hearing, she expressed the intention to shrink the department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and make it more agile. CISA had been created by President Trump as a standalone agency within the Department of Homeland Security to bolster cybersecurity, but its growth was rapid with bipartisan support.
However, after CISA declared the 2020 election to be "the most secure in American history" and its director, Christopher Krebs, refused to support Trump's unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, Krebs faced Trump's wrath and political vendettas.
When Trump returned to office, CISA's budget was slashed, and its staff reduced by a third. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since Trump's return. In April, the White House proposed additional budget cuts, but Republican lawmakers have voiced concerns about the vulnerability of critical U.S. infrastructure. In June, Noem's successor, Markwayne Mullin, reversed course and proposed adding 600 positions at CISA.
The agency has begun new hiring drives, with Acting Director Nicholas Andersen prioritizing critical cyberdefense roles. However, the U.S. is now six months into a war with Iran, an aggressive and capable cyber adversary, while preparations for the midterm elections are underway with significantly less intelligence from CISA regarding foreign and domestic threats.
Iran-affiliated hackers have targeted U.S. water and wastewater systems in over a dozen states, causing significant disruptions to more than 30 systems, including the temporary shutdown of a water system in Braham, Minnesota. The administration has not confirmed Iran's involvement in these hacks or disclosed how many states or utility systems have been affected.
Additionally, CISA, the FBI, and the EPA cautioned that Iran-affiliated hackers are attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in U.S. systems as the midterm elections approach, a period when the administration believes Iran may go after U.S. infrastructure to squeeze the Iranian economy.
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