CISA CIO Robert Costello exits agency | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The chief information officer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced his departure Tuesday, ending his nearly five-year run at CISA.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-cio-robert-costello-exits-agency\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CISA CIO Robert Costello exits agency\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The chief information officer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced his departure Tuesday, ending his nearly five-year run at CISA.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-cio-robert-costello-exits-agency\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cyberscoop\/\"> <meta 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class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.421725239617\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"32.738095238095\">\n<p> His nearly five-year tenure had recently been marked by turmoil. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/88008\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div 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readability=\"25.038710777626\"><body readability=\"55.200339558574\"><\/p>\n<p>The chief information officer at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced his departure Tuesday, ending his nearly five-year run at CISA.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Costello, an 18-year veteran of the Department of Homeland Security, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7434666607102271488\/?originTrackingId=I1qDq4MCIgidftyloKtrkA%3D%3D\">posted about the move<\/a> on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cServing as CIO at CISA has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,\u201d he said. \u201cTogether, we strengthened our cybersecurity posture, modernized critical systems, and built capabilities that will endure. I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Costello\u2019s tenure had recently grown turbulent, with conflicting accounts of whether the since-departed acting director of CISA, Madhu Gottumukkala, had tried to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/01\/18\/acting-cisa-chief-sought-ouster-of-agencys-chief-information-officer-00735826\">force him out<\/a>. Costello last week received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7434666607102271488\/?originTrackingId=TrsguKoJ7w80tNlae6iBQg%3D%3D\">transfer orders<\/a> for possible reassignment to another agency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Costello had supporters on the Hill and elsewhere, with House Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., <a href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/for-cisa-being-the-newest-federal-agency-means-needing-modern-tech-to-back-it-up\/\">saying as recently as last month<\/a> that it was good that an earlier reported attempt to move Costello out of the CISA CIO job had fallen short.<\/p>\n<p>As CIO at the agency, Costello advocated for top-notch tech as a <a href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/for-cisa-being-the-newest-federal-agency-means-needing-modern-tech-to-back-it-up\/\">recruiting boon<\/a>. He has been involved in efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-secure-software-buying-tool-had-a-simple-xss-vulnerability-of-its-own\/\">respond to vulnerabilities<\/a> within CISA. He has sometimes served as a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/radio\/greg-otto-sits-with-two-cisa-leaders-chris-butera-acting-executive-assistant-director-for-cisas-cybersecurity-division-and-bob-costello-cio-of-cisa-at-the-2025-black-hat-usa-conference-t\/\">public face<\/a> for the agency at events, has touted <a href=\"https:\/\/therecord.media\/cisa-pledges-support-cve-program-black-hat\">new tools<\/a> designed to enhance CISA services and has argued for <a href=\"https:\/\/meritalk.com\/articles\/cisa-looks-to-expand-ai-use-to-speed-testing-streamline-security\/\">greater use of artificial intelligence<\/a> in his role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout my career at CISA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and in the United States Air Force, I have been guided by a commitment to protecting our nation and advancing the greater good,\u201d Costello said. \u201cIt has been the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside public servants whose integrity and professionalism set the standard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Costello did not indicate his future plans beyond leaving the federal government and a \u201ccommitment to service and to this nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Costello\u2019s move isn\u2019t the only recent shakeup at the agency. CISA recently got a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-leadership-change-madhu-gottumukkala-nick-andersen\/\">new acting director<\/a>, Nick Andersen, to replace Gottumukkala after the former acting director left for a DHS headquarters post, as the nomination of Sean Plankey to lead CISA continues to stall. The acting chief human resources officer, Kevin Diana, also reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/02\/26\/two-senior-cisa-officials-reassigned-after-earlier-attempted-ouster-00802270\">received transfer orders.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cisa-cio-robert-costello-exits-agency.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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{"id":8393,"date":"2026-03-03T14:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=88008"},"modified":"2026-03-03T14:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:41:15","slug":"cisa-cio-robert-costello-exits-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/03\/03\/cisa-cio-robert-costello-exits-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"CISA CIO Robert Costello exits agency"},"content":{"rendered":"