How the Federal Shutdown Could Do Long-Term Digital Security Damage

Most people have at least heard of the partial shutdown plaguing the U.S. federal government. Now over three weeks old, the stoppage owes its existence to a conflict over border security funding. President Donald Trump wants $5.7 billion to build a new wall along the U.S. Mexican border, while Democrats say they will not fulfill this request. This disagreement is a problem, as border security funding is tied to the federal government’s overall operating budget. No agreement means no consensus on passing an appropriations bill or even a short-term extension for large sections of the federal government to remain open.

As a result, nine federal departments and federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closed on 22 December 2018 when their funding ran out. According to Fortune, other federal entities are currently open but have greatly reduced their workforce while the shutdown continues. Others have asked that only “essential” employees report to work knowing that they won’t be paid until after the shutdown ends. Together, these closures and reductions in work have caused 800,000 federal employees to be furloughed.

Obviously, this shutdown threatens the financial security of all affected federal employees and their families. But the trouble doesn’t end there. These hundreds of thousands of individuals are responsible for keeping the federal government up and running. Without them, crucial work doesn’t get done, and the nation suffers for it.

Digital Security and the Federal Shutdown: Short-Term Effects

We’re already seeing some short-term consequences with respect to digital security. Just over two weeks into 2019, Netcraft discovered that more than 130 TLS certificates used by .gov websites had expired. In the absence of a valid certificate, some websites have become unavailable, while others allow users to enter the site using (Read more...)