United States: In Cybersecurity, Donald Trump Favors Offense Over Defense

The "One Big Beautiful Bill" will unlock $1 billion in funding for "offensive cyber operations"—an amount equal to the cuts made to federal cyber defense budgets.

On July 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a four-year, $1 billion (approximately €856 million) investment in offensive cyber operations under the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The move aims to bolster the capabilities of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region in response to China’s growing influence.

This announcement follows the Trump administration’s decision to slash federal cyber defense funding by the same amount—$1 billion—since January 2025. The cuts resulted in the layoff of 130 employees from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the U.S. counterpart of France’s Anssi.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden expressed concern over the decision to “drastically reduce funding for cybersecurity and government technology,” warning that it leaves the country “largely vulnerable to attacks by foreign hackers.” He also cautioned that such offensive operations could provoke “retaliation in cyberspace—not only against federal agencies, but also against local hospitals, municipalities, and private entities.”