S. Dakota CIO Gottumukkala Signs on as CISA Deputy Director - Dark Reading

THREAT INTELLIGENCE CYBERSECURITY CAREERS CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS CYBER RISK NEWS S. Dakota CIO Gottumukkala Signs on as CISA Deputy Director The addition is an important hire for the No. 2 position at the cyber agency. The main director role remains unfilled post-Easterly, with Bridget Bean taking over acting duties for now. Tara Seals,Managing Editor, News,Dark Reading May 19, 2025 2 Min Read SOURCE: LUCKY-PHOTOGRAPHER VIA ALAMY STOCK PHOTO NEWS BRIEF The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has installed a new deputy director, Madhu Gottumukkala. Gottumukkala most recently served as commissioner and chief information officer (CIO) for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology, overseeing statewide technology and cybersecurity initiatives. Prior to that, he served as South Dakota's chief technology officer (CTO), focused on modernization and replacing outdated legacy systems, and has held multiple senior and leadership-level IT roles across a broad range of enterprise technology areas. Gottumukkala will shore up the leadership team at CISA, reporting to the acting executive director of the agency, Bridget Bean. Bean is head cheese at the agency for now, in the absence of leadership since Jen Easterly stepped down from the role on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. For now, the top position at CISA remains unfilled. Madhu Gottumukkala being sworn in at CISA. Source: CISA A void at the top isn't new: Easterly herself filled an eight-month vacancy left by President Trump's firing of the first CISA director, Chris Krebs, after he debunked false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen by President Biden. But Gottumukkala's appointment is especially welcome amid various layoffs and cuts to CISA more broadly. "I am honored to be appointed by Secretary Noem to serve as deputy director of CISA," Gottumukkala said in a statement. "As a former state and local leader, I have seen firsthand the exceptional work CISA does in advancing our nation's cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience. I look forward to building on that foundation by fostering collaboration and strengthening resilience across all levels of government and the private sector. Together, through trusted partnerships, transparency, and shared responsibility, we can better manage systemic risks and safeguard the critical functions that ensure our nation's safety and prosperity." Read more about: News Briefs About the Author Tara Seals Managing Editor, News, Dark Reading Tara Seals has 20+ years of experience as a journalist, analyst and editor in the cybersecurity, communications and technology space. Prior to Dark Reading, Tara was Editor in Chief at Threatpost, and prior to that, the North American news lead for Infosecurity Magazine. She also spent 13 years working for Informa (formerly Virgo Publishing), as executive editor and editor-in-chief at publications focused on both the service provider and the enterprise arenas. A Texas native, she holds a B.A. from Columbia University, lives in Western Massachusetts with her family and is on a never-ending quest for good Mexican food in the Northeast. Want more Dark Reading stories in your Google search results? 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