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

politico.com

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

#131

Post by smaudet »

BiscuitBadger wrote: post #24

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

Guess what this administration would love to do with nuclear facilities...

Any time you have to include "competent" in a description of a job or related technology, that's a clue that it needs requisite oversight and (possibly exponetial) proportionate cost.

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

#132

Post by lysace »

mythrwy wrote: post #96
lysace wrote: 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.

That is one of the best comments I've seen on HN to date! It seriously got me laughing. Thanks.

I am so happy that my embarrassing lack of geographical knowledge of the US states' internal geographies amused you. A good laugh is great for your health, I've heard.

At least I know where your country is located.

Now, let me quiz you on the geographical locations of French regions? Or perhaps Finnish regions, if that's something you work closer with, day-to-day?

;)

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

#133

Post by jabroni_salad »

lm28469 wrote: post #8
ceejayoz wrote: 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

These days I think that thing's main purpose is to bounce people who would otherwise request access that they don't really need. If it isn't worth sitting down for the machine you don't really need it.

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

#134

Post by _tk_ »

superb_dev wrote: post #107
_tk_ wrote: post #99

I’m a little surprised by the takes in the comments. Obviously, heads of departments or agencies, CEOs, or similar personnel are generally not in the same league as normal employees when it comes to compliance. Productivity and efficiency are key for their work. I am sure there are lots of Sysadmins here, that had to disable security controls for a manager or had to configure something in a way to circumvent security…

Obviously those kinds of stories are common, but you can’t seriously be suggesting that it is a good or acceptable thing? Execs are just as stupid as your average person and bypassing security controls for them puts an organization at an even greater risk due to the kinds of information they have access to. They just get away with it because they’re in charge.

Yes.

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

#135

Post by varjag »

tryauuum wrote: post #124
BiscuitBadger wrote: post #24

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

Do remember that HBO Chernobyl is fiction, there was no shoe guy publicly drinking vodka irl

Yes in reality that guy was a machinist.

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

#136

Post by XorNot »

jermaustin1 wrote: post #37
JohnMakin wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

The main thing is that if you're a big enough entity, in favorable enough conditions, it's possible to make stupid decisions continuously and survive them for a very long time.

It's the "market can remain irrational..." problem.

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

#137

Post by bigfudge »

direwolf20 wrote: post #125
pixl97 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite often it is both. It's not uncommon for incompetent people to be put in positions of power. Because they are incompetent, competent but malicious people take advantage of this and commit actual crimes. This is where actual conspiracies show up. And that is the incompetent powerful people cover up said crime to avoid looking incompetent. It is an extremely common pattern.

When Donald Trump saw the footage of the murder of Renee Good, he said "Oh". He didn't know what ICE were doing until then. He trusted his cabinet who were telling him they were getting illegal immigrants and left wing terrorists.

He also repeated the lies that she was a domestic terrorist etc. I don’t think we need credit trump with any moral fibre over this just yet…

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

#138

Post by jcalx »

stackghost wrote: post #31
Quarrelsome wrote: post #22

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.

You can see an archived list of industrial security clearance decisions here [0] which is interesting, and occasionally entertaining, reading. "Drug involvement security concerns" usually involve either actively using drugs or, worse, lying to cover up drug use, both of which are viewed as security concerns and grounds for rejection.

[0] https://web.archive.org/web/20170218040331/http://www.dod.mi...

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

#139

Post by Smar »

Insanity wrote: post #6

People were already careless with social media which was openly public. I imagine it’ll be worse with these LLMs for the average person.

This is the real risk I think. Currently there are no means to even pretend to get anything deleted from LLMs either.

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

#140

Post by bdangubic »

BiscuitBadger wrote: post #24

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

DEI in action (funny people thst voted for this were apparently anti-DEI and now they get 100% DEI)
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