Hacker steals over 40,000 DHS employee records
A hacker breaches Okta to steal personal data of more than 41,000 DHS staff, including ICE and CBP agents, exposing surveillance tools.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A hacker compromised personal records of over 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees.
- Leaked details include names, job titles, phone numbers, emails, and office locations.
- The hacker, known as “Department of Peace,” gained access through the Okta identity management service.
- The data breach also ties various agencies to surveillance tools like the Mobile Fortify facial recognition app.
A massive data breach has hit the United States government as a hacker successfully stole sensitive personal information belonging to personnel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The security incident compromises the records of more than 41,000 employees, exposing their full names, job titles, direct phone numbers, email addresses, and physical office locations to unauthorized parties.
According to reports from TechCrunch and Wired, the compromised records do not just cover administrative staff; they specifically detail personnel working within high-profile agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Furthermore, the leaked files link these government bodies to specific technological surveillance tools.
Reports indicate that the perpetrator, operating under the alias “Department of Peace,” breached the target data by exploiting Okta, an identity and access management service utilized by the DHS. Out of the total haul, approximately 21,000 records belong to employees stationed at CBP, while nearly 7,000 records appertain to staff working within ICE. Additional records hail from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The DHS has historically made efforts to shield the identities of ICE and CBP agents, who frequently execute anti-immigration enforcement operations across the United States alongside tracking internet critics. Explaining the motive behind the breach, the “Department of Peace” hacker told TechCrunch, “They have our information, so it’s only fair that we have theirs.” This security failure follows closely on the heels of a separate incident just weeks prior where hackers stole data concerning FBI employees and job applicants.
"They have our information, so it’s only fair that we have theirs."
Hacker known as "Department of Peace"
The pilfered DHS information was reportedly passed along to cybersecurity researcher maia arson crimew, who subsequently shared the files with Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), a nonprofit organization currently hosting the leaked “Icepick” dataset. In addition to personal contacts, the leak reportedly sheds light on internal DHS groups that possess access to potent surveillance utilities, including the Mobile Fortify facial recognition application and PenLink, a platform capable of collecting and analyzing data from mobile phones and online services.
Recent wave of cyberattacks targeting federal agencies highlights critical vulnerabilities in enterprise identity and access management systems, such as Okta, which malicious actors frequently exploit as a vector into large networks. The exposure of law enforcement personnel details not only presents severe personal safety risks but also lays bare state-level surveillance apparatuses, potentially eroding public trust in federal cybersecurity protocols moving forward.
Source: The Verge
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment