CISA Acting Director Uploads Sensitive Docs to ChatGPT

The acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency uploaded sensitive government contracting documents to a public version of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool last summer, prompting automated security alerts and an internal review by the Department of Homeland Security.

Madhu Gottumukkala, who has served as interim head of the agency since May, received special approval from the agency's chief information officer to access ChatGPT in the weeks after he joined. At the time, the tool was blocked for most Department of Homeland Security employees due to security concerns. The documents, marked for official use only, contained unclassified but sensitive information related to government contracts, a designation that restricts their release to protect privacy, welfare, or national interests.

Cybersecurity monitoring systems detected the uploads in early August, generating multiple alerts in the first week alone. Officials familiar with the matter said the activity triggered a department-led assessment to evaluate any potential risks to government security. Senior leaders, including then-acting general counsel Joseph Mazzara and chief information...