CISA’s Acting Chief Says 70 Staff Were Reassigned to Other DHS Offices in Last Year
•February 11, 2026
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Why It Matters
Shifting experienced cyber staff away from CISA may erode the agency’s ability to protect critical infrastructure during a period of escalating cyber threats and budget uncertainty.
Key Takeaways
- •70 CISA employees reassigned to other DHS components last year
- •Over 30 staff transferred into CISA during same period
- •Transfers include handful moving to ICE, raising security concerns
- •Lawmakers worry about loss of cyber expertise amid rising threats
- •Acting director faces scrutiny over leadership, polygraph failure, document leak
Pulse Analysis
The recent testimony by CISA’s acting chief highlights a significant internal reshuffle within the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber‑defense arm. Roughly 70 staff members were moved out of CISA and more than 30 were brought in, a pattern that reflects broader DHS workforce management practices but also raises red flags for cyber‑security stakeholders. The transfers, some to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, occurred after Gottumukkala assumed his role, contradicting earlier statements that the moves pre‑dated his tenure. This discrepancy has intensified congressional scrutiny, especially as the agency grapples with a looming budget lapse that could further strain resources.
From an operational perspective, the outflow of seasoned cyber professionals threatens to dilute CISA’s expertise at a time when adversaries such as China are intensifying attacks on U.S. networks and critical infrastructure. Lawmakers argue that continuity of talent is essential for maintaining robust incident response capabilities and for executing the agency’s mandate to secure the nation’s digital backbone. The inbound transfers, while partially offsetting losses, may not match the depth of experience exiting the organization, potentially creating gaps in threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and inter‑agency coordination.
Politically, the staffing saga intertwines with broader governance challenges at DHS. Gottumukkala’s leadership is under fire not only for the reassignments but also for a failed polygraph exam, a cancelled CIO transfer, and the controversial upload of sensitive documents to a public AI platform. Meanwhile, the Senate’s hold on the nomination of permanent CISA head Sean Plankey adds uncertainty to the agency’s strategic direction. As Congress debates funding and oversight, the agency’s ability to retain and attract top cyber talent will be a decisive factor in safeguarding America’s critical infrastructure.
CISA’s acting chief says 70 staff were reassigned to other DHS offices in last year
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s top official confirmed to House appropriators that multiple employees were given transfer orders to other offices inside the Department of Homeland Security over the last year.
Acting director Madhu Gottumukkala’s remarks in a Wednesday hearing came weeks after he appeared to say that those transfers — deemed as official Management Directed Reassignments — did not occur during his tenure at the cyberdefense agency. He appeared with other DHS component leaders for a hearing to discuss contingency plans for a potential lapse in DHS funding that’s set for Friday unless Congress can reconcile on a budget bill in time.
In January, when pressed about the reassignments in the House Homeland Security Committee, Gottumukkala said those occurred “not in my time.” On Wednesday, he said about 70 CISA staffers were given reassignments and that a “handful” were transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In turn, “30 plus” people were also transferred into CISA over the last year, he said.
Gottumukkala’s initial remarks last month confused lawmakers and other observers because the transfer orders were underway after he joined CISA in May of last year.
A December 2025 staffing chart provided to the House Homeland Security Committee shows 27 people were transferred into CISA and 65 were assigned out of CISA. Nextgov/FCW has asked the agency to clarify if more inbound and outbound reassignments have occurred since the end of last year.
The reassignments have been a flashpoint for some lawmakers because they raised concerns that experienced cyber staff were being shifted away from CISA while cyber threats from China and others continue targeting U.S. networks and critical infrastructure.
Gottumukkala is facing scrutiny over a handful of developments concerning his tenure, including a failed counterintelligence polygraph exam, the cancelled transfer of a well-liked agency Chief Information Officer and, more recently, news that he uploaded sensitive agency documents into a public-facing version of ChatGPT. Politico first reported those incidents.
The Trump administration’s permanent pick to lead the agency, Sean Plankey, was renominated last month, though holds from Senate lawmakers, including one tied to broader management of DHS, is delaying progress on moving the vote through the high chamber.
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