State Department moves cyber and intelligence bureaus under agencywide reorg

The State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy was moved under the agency’s Economic Growth office following a massive reorganization announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday.

CDP, which has operated under the Deputy Secretary’s office since being established in 2022, has spearheaded dozens of overseas engagements focused on bringing U.S. diplomacy into the digital age and has played a prime role in calling out Chinese officials on Beijing’s hacking pursuits against American critical infrastructure. 

The office, which was led by former cybersecurity executive Nate Fick until he left his politically-appointed post in January, has also worked frequently on counter-spyware pacts with other nations, an effort persisting even as recently as this month. Jennifer Bachus has been leading CDP in an acting capacity since Fick departed.

The changes to CDP were outlined in an org chart provided by the international affairs agency.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, previously co-chaired the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which first recommended that CDP be created.

In a statement to Nextgov/FCW, King called it critical “that plans for reorganization build on the positive work conducted by the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, which since its establishment has successfully elevated and integrated cyber and digital issues across the Department.”

“America’s cybersecurity posture involves our energy grid, critical infrastructure, health care technologies, and public safety concerns. Any attempt to pull apart the Cyber Bureau’s portfolio to focus primarily on economic issues would diminish its national security authority, contradict the clear statutory language authored by Congress, and — most importantly — make the American people less secure,” he added.

State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, an intelligence community office that protects the agency’s top secret networks and produces insights to inform diplomatic decisions, was shifted under a new Bureau of Emerging Threats. That emerging threats office will focus on areas like cybersecurity and proliferating concerns about artificial intelligence, the Washington Post reported.

Rubio announced the reorganization to staff Tuesday, as employees had anticipated. Some 15% of domestic staff will be eliminated with 132 offices closed, as part of the changes.

The Trump administration distanced itself from a document that had circulated within the State Department over the weekend that called for eliminating the career diplomatic corps in its current, non-partisan form and slashing embassies around the world.

Last week, Rubio said he eliminated a State office focused on fighting disinformation originated by foreign adversaries, claiming the office censored Americans’ free speech, without providing direct evidence.

Government Executive Senior Correspondent Eric Katz contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include comment from Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.