'Up to their eyeballs' in demands for assistance is the federal agency that assists institutions in defending against possible physical threats.

The government organization responsible with assisting colleges in being ready to respond to physical attacks is inundated with requests for assistance as antisemitic and anti-Muslim threats become more prevalent on American college campuses. However, the agency is short-staffed and unable to promptly handle the demand.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which employs 125 protective security advisers, was one of the action plans included in the announcement made by the Biden administration on Monday that it would be intensifying its reaction to such occurrences. Their responsibility is to tour college campuses and offer advice on how to prevent physical attacks.

However, a representative for the organization stated that this amount is not more than what was previously available to assist schools, places of worship, and other organizations that are thought to be susceptible essential infrastructure across the nation. Protective advisers are employed as consultants who can assist colleges and other campuses, including K–12 schools, in identifying their physical vulnerabilities, rather than as on-site security agents. It is the responsibility of a different team of one hundred advisors to defend these possible targets from cyberattacks.

According to a senior official who spoke with NBC News, the current wait time for schools requesting physical security assistance from CISA is “a few weeks.” However, the wait time is greater for schools requesting more advanced levels of resources.
There is just not enough staff to handle the volume of requests from schools, according to a DHS official, who added that CISA staff members are “up to their eyeballs” in work. According to the official, tiny state-funded institutions require government subsidies and assistance in order to get ready, although some schools with substantial endowments are able to pay for their own private security.

2,250 physical inspections of vital infrastructure around the nation were completed by CISA’s 125 physical security advisers in the last year, and demand is only anticipated to rise in light of the growing threat.

We have proven our ability to be adaptive and flexible. That we may adjust our engagement locations in response to changing threat environments, which does need ongoing prioritization and reprioritization,” the senior CISA official stated.

additional financing for CISA resources was not requested in President Joe Biden’s supplemental budget request, which was submitted to Congress on October 20. However, authorities claim that having additional staff will enable them to conduct more outreach and handle more requests more quickly.

It will never be feasible to reply to every request due to the volume, the senior CISA official stated. “There is an endless demand.”

During the government shutdown in September, amendments suggested by Republicans aimed to reduce the financing for CISA. These budget cuts would have “directly affected the work on the ground,” according to a senior CISA official.