Feds Scramble Amid Shutdown to Secure Cisco SD-WAN Systems

Emergency CISA Directive Lands as DHS Shutdown Strains Cyber Operations Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • February 25, 2026

The U.S. cyber defense agency has ordered civilian agencies to immediately secure vulnerable Cisco SD-WAN systems, warning that actively exploited flaws pose an "unacceptable risk" to civilian government networks already strained by the prolonged Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency directive Wednesday after officials said threat actors are targeting some Cisco systems and software used across federal civilian branch agencies. The binding order requires agencies to inventory affected devices, collect forensic data, patch any known vulnerabilities and hunt for evidence of potential compromise.

The ...