Hacker Steals Records of Over 41,000 DHS Employees
A hacker has stolen a trove of personal information from the Department of Homeland Security, exposing tens of thousands of employee records across multiple federal agencies.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Massive Security Breach Exposes DHS Personnel
A hacker has successfully stolen a massive trove of personal information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to reports from TechCrunch and Wired. The security breach exposes sensitive details including the names, job titles, phone numbers, email addresses, and office locations of more than 41,000 employees. The compromised records span several key federal divisions, highlighting a significant cybersecurity failure within the department.
Impact Across Multiple Immigration and Security Agencies
The massive leak impacts staff across several vital branches operating under the DHS umbrella. Around 21,000 of the affected records pertain directly to employees at Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while nearly 7,000 records belong to staff members at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, the stolen data encompasses personnel records from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Access Gained via Okta and Surveillance App Links
According to reporting by TechCrunch, a hacker operating under the moniker “Department of Peace” managed to gain unauthorized access to the target data through Okta, an identity and access management service utilized by the DHS. Beyond basic personnel details, the stolen dataset reportedly includes information linking the federal agencies to specific surveillance tools and groups. This encompasses details about groups utilizing advanced systems such as PenLink—which can collect and analyze data from phones and online services—alongside the facial recognition app Mobile Fortify.
Motivations and Prior Government Breaches
The federal government and the DHS have historically worked hard to conceal the identities of CBP and ICE agents, particularly as those officers carry out controversial anti-immigration raids around the United States and engage in tracking down online critics. Explaining the motivation behind the intrusion, the “Department of Peace” hacker told TechCrunch, “They have our information, so it’s only fair that we have theirs.” This high-profile security incident follows closely on the heels of another major government cybersecurity failure that occurred just weeks prior after hackers stole data concerning FBI employees and job applicants.
Distribution of the 'Icepick' Dataset
Following the unauthorized extraction, the leaked DHS information was reportedly passed along to cybersecurity researcher maia arson crimew. The researcher subsequently shared the trove with Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), a nonprofit organization that is currently hosting the leaked material under the designation of the “Icepick” dataset. As the fallout from the cyberattack continues to unfold across the cybersecurity landscape, the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Verge regarding the breach.
Sources
- The VergeA hacker stole more than 40,000 DHS employee records
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