The acting head of the US cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Madhu Gottumukkala, has come under scrutiny after reportedly uploading sensitive government contracting documents to the public version of ChatGPT, triggering internal cybersecurity alerts and a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review into whether the disclosures may have compromised sensitive data.
Gottumukkala-who has served as acting director of CISA since May 2025 and leads the federal agency tasked with defending government networks and critical infrastructure was granted a temporary exception to use ChatGPT by the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer as part of an initiative to explore AI tools.
At the time, most employees across the Department of Homeland Security were blocked from accessing the public AI platform due to concerns about data security.
According to reporting in Politico and detailed in subsequent coverage, the material Gottumukkala uploaded last summer was not classified but was marked “For Official Use Only,” a government designation for sensitive information not intended for public dissemination.
Automated cybersecurity sensors at CISA flagged multiple uploads in August 2025, prompting an internal review to assess whether there had been any harm to government security. The outcome of that review has not been publicly disclosed.
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