CISA tells staff to not speak with reporters, internal email shows

""In today's culture of information saturation, it is imperative that we ensure all official information communicated on behalf of CISA is current, accurate, unbiased, and authoritative. This includes any official information communicated to the media," reads part of the note issued by agency acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala. CISA is "committed to a culture of transparency" but also has a "responsibility to ensure we meet the imperative laid out above and to that end, the Office of the Chief External Affairs Office (OCEAO/ /EA) is the only office authorized to facilitate official communication with the media," it adds."

"The email later states that internal products like memos, official correspondence, working documents, chat logs and town hall materials are not approved for external release. The email was first reported by Politico and confirmed to Nextgov/FCW by three people familiar with its contents. "CISA does not comment on leaked internal emails, especially when they're about leaking internal emails," CISA Director of Public Affairs Marci McCarthy told Nextgov/FCW when asked for comment."

CISA sent an email instructing staff not to speak to reporters in an unauthorized capacity. The note said that in a culture of information saturation all official information communicated on behalf of CISA must be current, accurate, unbiased, and authoritative, including information shared with the media. The Office of the Chief External Affairs (OCEAO/ /EA) is the only office authorized to facilitate official media communication. The email specified that internal products such as memos, correspondence, working documents, chat logs and town hall materials are not approved for external release. The notice was first reported by Politico and confirmed to Nextgov/FCW by three people. CISA declined to comment on leaked internal emails. The agency has experienced major workforce shifts as DHS refocuses CISA on its core mission, including reassignments and terminations affecting roughly a third of the workforce.

Read at Nextgov.com