A shutdown would sideline federal cyber defenders just as a bedrock cybersecurity data-sharing law expires, leaving the government unusually vulnerable, cybersecurity experts warn.

“The absence of security personnel working to protect the nation from these threats can create a security gap and an opportunity for malicious actors to exploit weaknesses,” said Ilona Cohen, chief legal and policy officer at HackerOne and former general counsel at the Office of Management and Budget.

Cohen said infrastructure owners and operators would be less able to reach officials and data, and the government's cyber workforce would suffer if no funding bill is passed by Oct. 1.

Only an estimated 889 of 2,540 employees would continue to work at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the nat

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