Coast Guard cyber expert says ransomware attack on federal agency is more than likely

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• The House Appropriations Committee released its draft Homeland Security funding bill. It would provide $615.8 million dollars to support the Transportation Security Administration’s pay equivalence initiative. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency may be in line for another big budget increase. The spending bill includes $2.9 billion for CISA. That’s $334 million above CISA’s 2022 budget and $417 million more than the Biden administration’s request for the agency. CISA has seen a steady increase in funding over the last several years as lawmakers respond to cyber threats to both government and the private sector. The bill will be considered in subcommittee today.

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking a hard look at its workforce requirements. FEMA is doing a deep dive analysis of its staffing needs so it can start to plan for what has become a nonstop operational tempo for the agency. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told the House Homeland Security Committee that the increase in the rate of natural disasters has put a strain on the agency’s workforce. “We are taking a look right now at taking a step back at now that we have more of this year-long operational tempo instead of the peak that we have traditionally seen during hurricane season, of what does the…