Madhu Gottumukkala has been named the new deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency spokesperson confirmed today.
Gottumukkala will be joining the agency from his current role as commissioner for the South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology (BIT) where he has worked since September. Before that, he was the state’s chief technology officer for two months.
He will continue to work at BIT until May 16, according to a news release.
“Serving the people of South Dakota as State Chief Information Officer and Commissioner of BIT has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Gottumukkala in a statement. “As I step into this new role at the Department of Homeland Security, I carry with me the values of innovation, resilience, and service that define our state. I look forward to continuing to protect and strengthen the nation’s digital and physical infrastructure at a time when it matters most.”
Gottumukkala is joining the Federal government in the footsteps of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who is a former governor of South Dakota.
“South Dakota is home to so many exceptional individuals. It has been my honor to serve alongside …Commissioner Gottumukkala,” said current South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden in a statement. “Secretary Noem is making important strides to protect our nation,” he said.
The role of CISA director is still pending as Trump administration’s nominee, Sean Plankey, is still awaiting a Senate confirmation hearing after Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., placed a hold on the nomination citing CISA’s refusal to publicly release an unclassified 2022 report on U.S. telecom firms’ security practices.
Gottumukkala is coming to the new position with plenty of security credentials and experience from the private sector. He received a PhD in information systems from Dakota State University, an MBA in engineering and technology management from the University of Dallas, and an M.S. in computer science from the University of Texas at Arlington, according to his LinkedIn profile.