"Washington's Private Hacker Army Deterred by Far-Right Influence"

Top cybersecurity experts are withdrawing from the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) due to management frustrations and pressure from conservative critics, impacting the government's ability to protect critical networks. The initiative, launched by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in 2021, aimed to enlist outside tech pros in the fight against cybercrime and state-backed hacking. The growing conservative backlash against CISA's efforts to combat disinformation has made JCDC participants fearful of being targeted, leading to a significant decrease in outside participation. This pullback poses a challenge for the government's digital defenses, as most U.S. networks are privately owned, and CISA relies on tech firms and external cyber specialists to protect sensitive government data and critical infrastructure from hacks.