CISA scraps 6 free cybersecurity assessments for critical infrastructure operators

This is federal cybersecurity news with no direct connection to home energy upgrades, but here's what happened: the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is ending six free security checkups it used to offer to operators of power grids, water systems, and other critical infrastructure. These reviews helped utilities spot weak points, from ransomware readiness to supply-chain risks, using a free tool called CSET. CISA staff met with operators, asked questions, and produced reports with recommended fixes.

The change comes after CISA lost roughly a third of its workforce since early 2025. Agency leaders say they're replacing the assessments with a shorter questionnaire, but people familiar with the program say that replacement doesn't provide the same hands-on guidance. Critics, including a former CISA official and an industry group leader, warn the cutback could leave utilities less prepared for cyberattacks, since there's no clear low-cost alternative for the assessments CISA used to provide free of charge.

For homeowners, this doesn't change anything about your own house or any rebate program. It's a story about how the agencies and utilities that run the power grid get help defending against hackers, not about energy efficiency, heat pumps, or weatherization. The practical effect, if any, would show up indirectly and slowly, through the reliability of the electric grid your home depends on, not through anything you'd need to act on now.