The Expiration of CISA 2015 and Its Ripple Effect on Cybersecurity Collaboration

In a week already marked by political gridlock and a government shutdown, a critical cybersecurity safeguard quietly expired—leaving businesses and federal agencies exposed to heightened risk. The lapse of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) has triggered alarm across the public and private sectors, as organizations now face uncertainty around sharing threat intelligence without the legal protections the law once provided.

CISA 2015 was enacted to encourage voluntary information sharing between private companies and the federal government. It offered liability protections for organizations that disclosed cyber threat indicators in good faith, enabling a more coordinated defense against increasingly sophisticated attacks. For sectors like banking, energy, telecommunications, and transportation—where private entities manage the bulk of critical infrastructure—this legal shield was essential.

With the law now expired, cybersecurity firms and infrastructure operators are hesitating to share threat data, fearing exposure to lawsuits or regulatory scrutiny. This hesitation could slow down the detection of coordinated campaigns, such as the Chinese Volt Typhoon operation uncovered in 2023, which infiltrated U.S. networks for years. Without open collaboration, defenders lose the ability to see broader patterns, correlate indicators across sectors, and respond with agility.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Threat actors are exploiting AI to automate phishing, craft deepfake impersonations, and bypass traditional defenses. Living-off-the-land techniques—where attackers use legitimate tools already present in systems—are on the rise, making detection even harder. In this environment, the absence of a trusted, protected channel for sharing intelligence is more than a policy gap; it’s a strategic vulnerability.

For CISOs, compliance officers, and risk managers, the expiration of CISA 2015 is a call to action. Organizations must reassess their internal policies around threat sharing, legal exposure, and coordination with federal partners. They should also invest in sector-specific sharing platforms like FS-ISAC, which may offer alternative protections and structured collaboration.

Congressional efforts to reauthorize the law have stalled, but the cybersecurity community cannot afford to wait. In the absence of federal guarantees, businesses must double down on internal governance, clarify legal boundaries, and maintain open lines of communication with trusted peers and agencies.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. When the legal scaffolding that supports collaboration collapses, the risk isn’t just technical—it’s systemic. Organizations must adapt quickly, advocate for legislative clarity, and continue defending the digital front lines with resilience and resolve. Contact Webcheck Security to discuss how your organization can strategically shift its focus on threat intelligence following this dramatic change.