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DHS Review Launched After Sensitive Docs Got Uploaded on ChatGBT
(MENAFN) Sensitive US government files were uploaded to a publicly accessible version of ChatGPT last summer by the acting head of the country’s primary cyber-defense agency, prompting automated security alerts and an internal damage assessment by the Department of Homeland Security, as stated by reports.
The incident involved Madhu Gottumukkala, who is serving as interim director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He reportedly obtained a special exemption to use the AI platform, which was otherwise restricted for DHS staff, and entered contracting-related documents labeled “For Official Use Only.” Although the materials were not classified, they are considered sensitive and are not intended for public distribution.
Officials familiar with the matter said internal cybersecurity monitoring systems detected the uploads in early August. This triggered a DHS-led review aimed at determining whether the disclosure posed any risk to government operations or data security.
The outcome of that assessment has not been made public. The episode has drawn attention because information submitted to the public version of ChatGPT is shared with its developer, OpenAI, potentially making the data accessible beyond government systems. By contrast, AI tools officially approved within DHS are designed to keep information contained within federal networks.
In a statement, a CISA spokesperson said Gottumukkala “was granted permission to use ChatGPT with DHS controls in place” and emphasized that his interaction with the tool was “short-term and limited.”
Gottumukkala has been leading the agency on an interim basis since May, as the nominee for the permanent director role, Sean Plankey, is still awaiting confirmation.
The ChatGPT episode adds to a series of controversies that have surrounded Gottumukkala’s short time at the helm of the agency. Reports indicate that last July he did not pass a counterintelligence polygraph examination required for access to highly sensitive intelligence. During testimony before Congress last week, he declined to acknowledge that outcome, telling US Representative Bennie Thompson that he does not “accept the premise of that characterization.”
The incident involved Madhu Gottumukkala, who is serving as interim director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He reportedly obtained a special exemption to use the AI platform, which was otherwise restricted for DHS staff, and entered contracting-related documents labeled “For Official Use Only.” Although the materials were not classified, they are considered sensitive and are not intended for public distribution.
Officials familiar with the matter said internal cybersecurity monitoring systems detected the uploads in early August. This triggered a DHS-led review aimed at determining whether the disclosure posed any risk to government operations or data security.
The outcome of that assessment has not been made public. The episode has drawn attention because information submitted to the public version of ChatGPT is shared with its developer, OpenAI, potentially making the data accessible beyond government systems. By contrast, AI tools officially approved within DHS are designed to keep information contained within federal networks.
In a statement, a CISA spokesperson said Gottumukkala “was granted permission to use ChatGPT with DHS controls in place” and emphasized that his interaction with the tool was “short-term and limited.”
Gottumukkala has been leading the agency on an interim basis since May, as the nominee for the permanent director role, Sean Plankey, is still awaiting confirmation.
The ChatGPT episode adds to a series of controversies that have surrounded Gottumukkala’s short time at the helm of the agency. Reports indicate that last July he did not pass a counterintelligence polygraph examination required for access to highly sensitive intelligence. During testimony before Congress last week, he declined to acknowledge that outcome, telling US Representative Bennie Thompson that he does not “accept the premise of that characterization.”
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