The interim chief of the country’s cyber defense agency reportedly uploaded sensitive government records into a publicly accessible artificial intelligence platform last summer.
Madhu Gottumukkala, who currently serves as interim director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), reportedly uploaded the material into a commercial version of ChatGPT despite the application being broadly restricted across Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems at the time, according to Politico. The incident drew attention inside the department because Gottumukkala personally sought an exception to use the tool shortly after joining the agency in May, officials told Politico.
The records were not classified, but they included agency contracting files designated for official use only, a label applied to sensitive information meant to remain within government channels, according to officials who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Automated monitoring tools inside CISA detected the uploads in early August and issued repeated alerts intended to catch unauthorized disclosures of federal data, the officials said.
Senior DHS leadership initiated an internal assessment to determine whether the exposure posed any risk to government operations. Officials said they were not informed of the review’s final determination.
CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy said in a statement that Gottumukkala received approval to access ChatGPT under specific DHS safeguards and described the usage as temporary and limited in scope. She added that the agency continues to pursue artificial intelligence adoption consistent with President Donald Trump’s directive to accelerate U.S. leadership in AI development.
McCarthy said Gottumukkala last accessed ChatGPT in mid-July 2025 under a short-term authorization available to select personnel. She said DHS policy continues to restrict the platform by default unless officials grant an exception.
Gottumukkala currently ranks as the highest-level political appointee at CISA, which is responsible for defending federal networks from advanced cyber threats linked to foreign adversaries, including China and Russia.
After DHS identified the activity, Gottumukkala met with senior department leadership to review the materials he entered into the AI system, according to two officials, per Politico. The review involved then-acting General Counsel Joseph Mazzara and DHS Chief Information Officer Antoine McCord, officials said. Gottumukkala later held discussions with CISA Chief Information Officer Robert Costello and Chief Counsel Spencer Fisher regarding the handling of restricted documents.
Gottumukkala assumed leadership of CISA in May after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem appointed him deputy director. The administration’s nominee to permanently lead the agency, DHS adviser Sean Plankey, remains in limbo after his confirmation stalled last year following objections from Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida tied to an unrelated contracting dispute.
Information entered into publicly available AI tools may be retained by their operators and used to train future responses. OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT, has said the platform serves hundreds of millions of users globally. By contrast, AI systems approved for standard DHS use, including the department’s internally developed chatbot, keep all inputs contained within federal infrastructure.
Federal employees receive mandatory instruction on safeguarding sensitive materials. DHS policy requires officials to examine any exposure of protected information and consider appropriate corrective action, which can range from retraining to disciplinary measures, including potential clearance consequences, depending on severity, officials said.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
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