Trump’s Cyber Chief Uploaded Sensitive Files To ChatGPT: Report

AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

President Donald Trump’s interim chief of cybersecurity uploaded sensitive documents to a public version of ChatGPT, setting off multiple security alerts and triggering an internal review at the Department of Homeland Security.

ChatGPT was blocked for all DHS employees when Madhu Gottumukkala, the Acting Director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, joined the agency in May of last year. That meant that Gottumukkala had to request special access to the artificial intelligence platform from CISA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, which he did shortly after his arrival, Politico reported on Tuesday.

The acting director proceeded to upload documents, some of which were marked “for official use only,” a government label for information considered sensitive and not for public release. These uploads triggered multiple automated alerts, put in place to signal a possible theft or disclosure of government material.

Gottumukkala “forced CISA’s hand into making them give him ChatGPT, and then he abused it,” said one of the four DHS officials with knowledge of the incident who spoke to Politico.

Another claimed that Gottumukkala triggered multiple alerts in just one week.

An investigation into a possible breach of security was subsequently conducted by DHS. The results of the investigation have not been publicly reported.

The public version of ChatGPT that Gottumukkala employed allows all material uploaded to be used in responses for the app’s 700 million active users.

In a statement to Politico, CISA Director of Public Affairs Marci McCarthy confirmed that Gottumukkala “was granted permission to use ChatGPT with DHS controls in place,” and clarified that “this use was short-term and limited.”

“Acting Director Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala last used ChatGPT in mid-July 2025 under an authorized temporary exception granted to some employees. CISA’s security posture remains to block access to ChatGPT by default unless granted an exception,” claimed McCarthy, slightly disputing Politico’s reports that Gottumukkala’s breaches occurred in August.

The agency was committed to “harnessing AI and other cutting-edge technologies to drive government modernization and deliver on” Trump’s executive order removing barriers to America’s leadership in AI, said McCarthy– though Politico’s report noted that DHS-approved AI tools have systems in place to protect inputs from leaving federal networks.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!