Why It Matters

Google's cloud security subsidiary is now actively shaping federal cybersecurity policy. Wiz Inc. engaged Forward Global US Inc. as a lobbying firm on August 28. The company is pushing for increased funding to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to deploy agentless Advanced Cloud Protection tools, technology directly aligned with Wiz's commercial offerings.

Wiz moves from a startup vendor to a Google subsidiary. CISA staffing dropped from approximately 3,700 employees at the start of 2025 to between 2,200 and 2,600. CISA has issued directives requiring federal agencies to secure cloud environments.

By the Numbers

Forward Global US Inc. registered Wiz Inc. on August 28, with three lobbyists: Noe Garcia III, Chandra Desai, and Ted Anderson. Garcia is a Managing Partner at Forward Global and has filed 62 lobbying disclosures across multiple clients since joining the firm. Desai and Anderson are newer to the field, with seven and four filings respectively.

Wiz's prior lobbying activity focused on Science/Technology issues, particularly cloud computing and artificial intelligence legislation. The company previously advocated for cybersecurity funding within DHS appropriations, specifically for CISA programs, in H.R. 4213.

Broader Context

CISA's workforce has collapsed. The agency dropped from approximately 3,700 employees at the start of 2025 to between 2,200 and 2,600. The FY2026 DHS Appropriations Act included $2.6 billion for CISA. According to Axios, after years of aggressive growth under previous administrations, CISA's workforce and mission are rapidly shrinking.

Meanwhile, federal cybersecurity standards are tightening. The FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law as P.L. 119-60, tightens AI and cybersecurity standards for U.S. defense. It requires the State Department to issue guidelines tracking commercial cloud enclave use and mandates security requirements for AI systems on cloud infrastructure. It also prohibits Department of Defense contractors from using AI developed by DeepSeek, a Chinese-owned company.

The gap between federal capacity and private sector need is widening. As nation-state attacks on critical infrastructure intensify, states and private companies lack the capacity to fill the gaps left by CISA's retreat.

Between The Lines

Several bills relevant to Wiz's lobbying focus remain in Congress.

H.R. 4213, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2026, had not yet been enacted as of April 2026.

H.R. 5079, which expands the definition of cyber threats to include ransomware and prepositioning attacks while modernizing threat information sharing between federal agencies and non-federal entities, had been introduced but had not advanced further as of the most recent filings.

CISA has issued directives requiring federal agencies to secure cloud environments.

The Bottom Line

The company's push for CISA funding and agentless cloud protection tools arrives as the agency shrinks and federal agencies face new compliance mandates.

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