Live data from Hacker News

CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

politico.com

31–40 of 264 posts

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#31

I adore that this guy had security clearance and I doubt I'd clear that bar. Last time I looked at the interview there was a question: > have you ever misused drugs? and I doubt I'd be able to resist the response: > of course not, I only use drugs properly. also I wouldn't lie, because that's would undermine the purpose. Still sad I can't apply for SC jobs because I'm extremely patriotic and improving my nation is so…

FWIW I have held a security clearance during my career, and telling them I smoked weed was not a dealbreaker. What they are ultimately looking for is reasons why you could be coerced into divulging classified information. If you owe money due to drugs/gambling, etc, that's where it becomes a dealbreaker.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#32

It’s absolutely necessary to have ChatGPT.com blocked from ITAR/EAR regulated organizations, such as aerospace, defense, etc. I’m really shocked this wasn’t already the case.

"The report says Gottumukkala requested a special exemption to access ChatGPT, which is blocked for other Department of Homeland Security staff."

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#33
post #9

This administration's op-sec has been consistently "barney fife" levels of incompetence.

this administrations competence on anything and everything has been a kid eating glue

If it wasn't meant to be eaten, it shouldn't have tasted so good!

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#34
post #8
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hand-picked by Noem, so yeah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhu_Gottumukkala > In April 2025, secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem named Gottumukkala as the deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; he began serving in the position on May 16. That month, Gottumukkala told personnel at the agency that much of its leadership was resigning and that he would serve as its acting dire…

> Gottumukkala had requested to see access to a controlled access program—an act that would require taking a polygraph Are the US ok? It's 2026 not 1926

The polygraph is still used for security vetting, today. No word on whether they still read a lamb's entrails for portents or consult the dead with a Ouija board.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#36
Leaked is not the correct word here. Generally as it's used, it implies some intent to disclose, the information for it's own purposes. You would call a disclosure to the war thunder forums a leak, because the intent was to use that information to win an argument. You wouldn't call Leaving boxes of classified information in a wearhouse where you'd normally read them a leak. (At least not as a verb). Likewise you wouldn't call it a leak if you mistakenly abandoned them in a park.

That said, IIRC For Official Use Only is the lowest level of classification (note not classified) it's not even NOFORN. It's even multiple levels below Sensitive But Unclassified.

So, who cares?

Much more significant is he failed the SCI/full poly... that means you lied about something. Yes I know polys don't work, but the point of the poly is to try to ensure you've disclosed everything that could be used against you, which ideally means no one could flip you or manipulate you. The functional part is to determine if you have anxiety about things you might try to hide, because that fear can be used against you. No fear/anxiety, or nothing you're trying to hide means you're harder to manipulate.

That feels bad even ignoring the whole hostile spys kinda thing.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#37
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty sure that's a feature, not a bug

Personally I believe this but it gets into conspiracy theory real quick. There are far simpler explanations.

Same, I want to believe that this is all a ruse and that the are smart and just really good at playing dumb, but there are just too MANY of them.

It's sycophancy plain and simple. Surround yourself with only yes-men, it ends up becoming less and less competent as the ones who stand up and say no are replaced.

Even if they know better, they can't do better because they know there is no loyalty to nay-sayers.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#38
post #12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhu_Gottumukkala He was the 'CTO' of South Dakota and later the CIO/Commissioner of the South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunications under governor Kristi Noem. Edit: (From a European perspective) it seems like the southern states really took over the US establishment. I hadn't really grasped the level of it, before.

South Dakota has a population of less than 1 million people and the complexity of a CTO job of a state like South Dakota would be quite low. It is < 0.3% of the US Population and likely has de minimis benefit programs.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#39
post #29

There have to be GovCloud only LLMs just for this case. I swear this government is headed by appointed nephews of appointed nephews. I keep thinking back about that Chernobyl miniseries; head of the science department used to run a shoe factory. No one needs to be competent at their job anymore

The article says > [ChatGPT] is blocked for other Department of Homeland Security staff. Gottumukkala “was granted permission to use ChatGPT with DHS controls in place,” adding that the use was “short-term and limited.” He had a special exemption to use it as head of Cyber and still got flagged by cybersecurity checks. So obviously they don't think it's safe to use broadly. They already have a deal with OpenAI to bui…

> So obviously they don't think it's safe to use broadly.

More likely, everything gets added to the list because there shouldn't be false positives, it's worth investigating to make sure there isn't an adjacent gap in the security systems.

Re: CISA’s acting head uploaded sensitive files into public version of ChatGPT

#40

There have to be GovCloud only LLMs just for this case. I swear this government is headed by appointed nephews of appointed nephews. I keep thinking back about that Chernobyl miniseries; head of the science department used to run a shoe factory. No one needs to be competent at their job anymore

[deleted]
Post reply on HN