The acting head of the country’s cyber defense agency uploaded sensitive government files into the public version of ChatGPT last summer. This immediately triggered multiple internal security alarms at the agency. Madhu Gottumukkala, the interim director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), had requested and received special permission to use the AI tool right after he arrived in May 2025.
At that time, ChatGPT was completely blocked for everyone else working at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to Politico, The person in charge of protecting federal networks got a special pass to use the tool, and then he misused it right away.
