Contract lapse halts critical cybersecurity work

A cybersecurity oversight gap has emerged due to a lapsed contract between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, leaving fewer experts analyzing critical infrastructure threats, reports Cybersecurity Dive. LLNL's threat hunters stopped monitoring CyberSentry data, a program that tracks cyber intrusions in vital sectors like energy and healthcare, on July 20, as they await contract renewal. Nate Gleason of LLNL testified before Congress that the loss of this capability is "a significant loss" of visibility into operational technology networks. Although CISA and its contractors continue to assess the data, the volume of information could overwhelm the remaining teams, slowing detection of potential threats. The stalled agreement, linked to contracting policy changes during the Trump administration, requires signoff from both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy. This is the second LLNL project supporting CISA to be halted this year due to contract delays, raising concerns about national cybersecurity readiness.