The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has replaced its top acting leader, a spokesperson confirmed, following a year marked by staffing reductions, internal disputes and leadership instability under the Trump administration.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security and oversees cybersecurity and technical protections across the federal government, has removed Madhu Gottumukkala as acting director. The decision comes after a turbulent tenure that included reported security incidents and significant workforce reductions.
Leadership Change At CISA
ABC News first reported Gottumukkala’s departure. In a statement shared with TechCrunch, CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy said Gottumukkala had done a “remarkable job.”
McCarthy confirmed that Nick Andersen will assume the role of acting director. Andersen previously led CISA’s cybersecurity division as its top official.
Gottumukkala has been reassigned within the Department of Homeland Security as director of strategic implementation. DHS oversees CISA.
Controversies During Tenure
Gottumukkala faced challenges while leading the agency. Reports indicated that sensitive government documents were uploaded to ChatGPT during his tenure, creating security concerns.
Staffing levels at CISA were reduced by approximately one-third over the past year. Gottumukkala also reportedly failed a counterintelligence polygraph required to access classified materials. Following that, he suspended several career officials, including the agency’s chief security officer at the time.
Before joining CISA as deputy director, Gottumukkala served as chief technology officer of South Dakota under then-governor and current Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Permanent Director Nomination Pending
CISA has not had a permanent Senate-confirmed director since Donald Trump returned to office.
McCarthy said the administration has selected Sean Plankey as its nominee for permanent director. The appointment requires approval by a majority vote in the U.S. Senate.
The White House re-nominated Plankey in January. Last year, Senator Ron Wyden blocked Plankey’s nomination until CISA agreed to release an unclassified report describing alleged cybersecurity vulnerabilities at major phone and telecommunications companies.
Wyden requested the report after hundreds of cyberattacks targeted U.S. and international phone and internet providers. The attacks were attributed to a China-backed hacking group known as Salt Typhoon.
The Senate has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing for Plankey.
Additional Senior Departure
Separately, Nextgov reported that CISA’s chief information officer Bob Costello has left the agency. Costello oversaw CISA’s IT systems and data policies.
According to the report, Gottumukkala attempted to transfer Costello but was blocked by unnamed political appointees. When asked by TechCrunch, McCarthy did not address Costello’s departure but did not dispute the report.
Featured image credits: Adobe Stock
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