FEMA IT employees have been fired by Security Secretary Kristie Noem due to significant cybersecurity failures that compromised the agency’s networks. Deficiencies were discovered during a routine cybersecurity conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OICO). These failures included severe lapses in security that allowed breaches of the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
FEMA Failures Included Basic Cybersecurity Protocols
When the DHS made efforts to remedy the issues, the fired FEMA IT employees downplayed the significance of the breach and attempted to prevent DHS’s efforts in an attempt to cover up their failures. These failures includes use of prohibited protocols, lack of multi-factor identification, failure to address known vulnerabilities, and inadequate operational visibility. FEM cybersecurity officials systematically avoided scheduled inspections and lied about the scale and scope of cyber vulnerabilities.
Unacceptable Behavior Will Not be Accepted
Secretary Noem stated that “This unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated in the Trump administration.” These failures occurred despite the fact that FEMA spent close to half a billion dollars on cybersecurity in 2025. As a result of DHS’s actions, FEMA Chief Information Officer (CIO) Charles Armstrong, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Gregory Edwards, and 22 other FEMA IT employees directly responsible were immediately terminated.
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