Shortly after assuming his role as President, Donald Trump signed an executive decree, resulting in a suspension of most foreign aid. Among the lesser-known consequences of this 90-day halt was the stoppage of funds for the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP). This relatively new bureau leverages diplomatic relations to foster technology partnerships and address emerging cyber threats.

In related news, there’s been buzz around whether Oracle will take over TikTok, with Trump expected to make a decision within a month.

As reported by The Record, the suspension of foreign aid has brought the bureau to a standstill, despite its access to tens of millions of dollars in funding. The CDP has been involved in several notable projects, such as launching a cyber incident response team in Costa Rica, collaborating with the Vietnamese government on addressing malicious cyber activity from North Korea, and establishing a subsea telecommunications cable in Tuvalu.

In addition to the suspension of funds, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace & Digital Policy, Nate Fick, stepped down from his role on Monday. Fick was the inaugural cyber ambassador in the U.S.

The CDP was established by Congress in 2022 to enable the U.S. to form diplomatic alliances worldwide, emphasizing the importance of combating cyber threats and developing new technologies collaboratively. The bureau’s funds, exceeding $90 million, are sourced from its baseline budget, the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, and its Digital Connectivity and Related Technologies Fund.

The CDP’s most recent activity on its X account included a retweet from the official State Department account, welcoming Trump’s appointed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. However, the CDP account has not posted any original content since January 17, preceding Trump’s inauguration.