The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has replaced its acting director, Madhu Gottumukkala, after a year marked by significant internal turmoil and security failures. Nick Andersen, previously the agency's top cybersecurity division official, has been appointed as the new acting director, a CISA spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Friday.
The leadership change follows multiple reports detailing a difficult tenure for Gottumukkala, who struggled to lead the agency responsible for federal cybersecurity. Under his watch, CISA saw its staffing slashed by one-third and faced security incidents, including the uploading of sensitive government documents to the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Security Failures and Personnel Issues
Gottumukkala's tenure was further complicated by his reported failure of a counterintelligence polygraph test, required to view classified documents. In response, he suspended several career officials, including the agency's then-chief security officer. Before his nomination to CISA as deputy director, Gottumukkala served as chief technology officer of South Dakota under then-governor Kristi Noem, who is now the US Secretary of Homeland Security.
In a statement, CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy claimed Gottumukkala had done a "remarkable job" and stated he has been moved to a new position as director of strategic implementation within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ABC News was first to report his departure from the top CISA role.
Ongoing Leadership Vacuum and New Nomination
The agency has not had a permanent, Senate-confirmed director since the Trump administration returned to office. McCarthy stated that the Trump administration has chosen Sean Plankey to be the agency's permanent director, a position requiring confirmation by the US Senate.
Plankey's nomination faces hurdles. The White House re-nominated him in January after Senator Ron Wyden blocked the previous nomination. Wyden demanded the release of an unclassified report on cybersecurity flaws at major telecom companies, linked to hacks by the China-backed group Salt Typhoon. The Senate has yet to schedule a hearing for Plankey.
Further Senior Departure
The agency's instability was compounded by the departure of another senior official, Bob Costello, its chief information officer. Nextgov reported that Gottumukkala had attempted to transfer Costello but was blocked by unnamed political appointees. CISA's spokesperson did not address Costello's departure when asked by TechCrunch but did not dispute the report.
The series of leadership changes and reported internal issues highlight ongoing challenges for CISA, a critical agency tasked with protecting the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure during a period of heightened global digital threats.