A government shutdown probably won't have a big effect on internet security

The U.S. government may shutdown at midnight on Friday, but this will likely have little to no effect on the nation's all-important cybersecurity activities.

In fact, if the Congress fails to fund the government and it shuts down -- which it has done 12 times since 1981 -- most federal employees are still required to come to work because they are responsible for "essential" tasks. These employees include air traffic controllers for the FAA, TSA officials scanning bags at airports for weapons, and Army intelligence personnel tracking potential cyberattack attempts.

The agencies hardest hit by a potential shutdown have nothing to do with the nation's web oversight. A 2018 shutdown will likely mirror the last federal shutdown, which occurred in 2013. Then, over 60 percent of federal employees continued to work.

Most of the furloughed employees, according to Office of Management and Budget data gathered by The New York Times, worked for NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Interior.

The National Parks, which fall under the Department of the Interior, often serve as a symbol of the government's closure, as "Park Closed" signs are placed at entrances and gates are locked shut.

National parks shut down during the last federal government shutdown in October 2013. Credit: Getty Images

Mashable contacted the relevant government departments and agencies -- such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Security Administration (NSA) -- to ask how a shutdown might affect cybersecurity and internet oversight.

None answered the question directly, but gave no hint that web-related operations would be impacted by absent employees:

• A DHS official told Mashable that "Nearly ninety percent of all DHS personnel are considered essential staff and will continue to perform their duties in the event of a government shutdown."

• In a statement provided to Mashable, the FCC said that even in the event of a shutdown the agency would be able to stay open through the close of business on Friday, January 26.

• The NSA wouldn't specify how a shutdown might affect its cybersecurity operations, but said that its work would continue. "While NSA is not exempt from the legal requirement to carry out an orderly shutdown of government activities, our core functions will continue," the agency said in a statement. "We are still charged with carrying out our critical mission of protecting America and our allies, and we will continue to do so."

• The Department of Defense, too, would not answer specific questions about how intelligence or cybersecurity personnel would be affected by this shutdown, but referred Mashable to its January 18, 2018, contingency plans, which noted that military personnel would not be affected by a shutdown.

Although it's unlikely the nation's internet will be disrupted during a potential shutdown, many government functions will surely be affected. The Labor Department, for instance, may be late in producing its monthly employment reports. Work at the IRS may be slowed. And there will be fewer park rangers monitoring national resources or vulnerable species.