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What is the story about?
The interim head of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) uploaded sensitive government contract documents into a public version of ChatGPT. According to a report in Politico, Madhu Gottumukkala, CISA's acting director, shared the files with the AI platform last summer for work purposes.
Neither of the files was classified, but the material included CISA contractual paperwork marked ‘for official use only,’ a government designation for sensitive information that should not be released to the public.
The incident generated several automated security warnings designed to prevent the theft or unintended disclosure of government information from federal networks, the outlet reported, citing Department of Homeland Security officials.
It was particularly noteworthy because Gottumukkala had specifically requested and received exclusive permission from CISA's Office of the Chief Information Officer to use the tool after arriving at the agency in May. The AI tool remained blocked for nearly all other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees.
CISA’s Director of Public Affairs, Marci McCarthy, in an emailed statement, stated that Gottumukkala was granted permission to use the AI chatbot with DHS controls in place and “this use was short-term and limited.”
Who is Madhu Gottumukkala?
Madhu Gottumukkala is the Acting Director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a position he has held since May 2025. According to CISA, he leads the agency’s mission to "understand, manage, and reduce risk to the cyber and physical infrastructure that the American people rely on every day."
He previously served as the Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology. Earlier in his career, Gottumukkala also served as the second South Dakota Chief Technology Officer.
Born in Andhra Pradesh on October 29, 1976, he completed his schooling at Kakinada Public School, Andhra Pradesh. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Andhra University, a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, an MBA from the University of Dallas, and a PhD in Information Systems from Dakota State University.
Before joining the federal government, he spent over 24 years in both the public and private sectors, including roles in wireless, telecom, unified communications, and health technology.
Neither of the files was classified, but the material included CISA contractual paperwork marked ‘for official use only,’ a government designation for sensitive information that should not be released to the public.
The incident generated several automated security warnings designed to prevent the theft or unintended disclosure of government information from federal networks, the outlet reported, citing Department of Homeland Security officials.
It was particularly noteworthy because Gottumukkala had specifically requested and received exclusive permission from CISA's Office of the Chief Information Officer to use the tool after arriving at the agency in May. The AI tool remained blocked for nearly all other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees.
CISA’s Director of Public Affairs, Marci McCarthy, in an emailed statement, stated that Gottumukkala was granted permission to use the AI chatbot with DHS controls in place and “this use was short-term and limited.”
Who is Madhu Gottumukkala?
Madhu Gottumukkala is the Acting Director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a position he has held since May 2025. According to CISA, he leads the agency’s mission to "understand, manage, and reduce risk to the cyber and physical infrastructure that the American people rely on every day."
He previously served as the Commissioner and Chief Information Officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology. Earlier in his career, Gottumukkala also served as the second South Dakota Chief Technology Officer.
Born in Andhra Pradesh on October 29, 1976, he completed his schooling at Kakinada Public School, Andhra Pradesh. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Andhra University, a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, an MBA from the University of Dallas, and a PhD in Information Systems from Dakota State University.
Before joining the federal government, he spent over 24 years in both the public and private sectors, including roles in wireless, telecom, unified communications, and health technology.
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