Hackers Release Personal Data for 40,000 Homeland Security Workers

A non-profit data transparency group released a database containing personal information for more than 40,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday. The group, Distributed Denial of Secrets, published the files on its website, asserting that the data covers officials in sensitive roles including surveillance and human intelligence.

The dataset includes names, phone numbers, and email addresses for workers at several key agencies. It covers personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The files also list job titles and email groups that identify which agents were assigned to special operations, computer forensics, and undercover work.

DHS said it was aware of a potential breach and is actively working to address the situation. The agency stated it is ensuring employees are properly protected and will update the public when more information is available. This incident marks the third major government data leak reported in the past month, following a claim by hacking group ShinyHunters in September regarding FBI data and a recent lawsuit involving the U.S. War Department.

The leak draws on information obtained by an entity calling itself the Department of Peace. That group claimed responsibility in March for hacking DHS and posting documents about vendor contracts. A statement included with the data said DHS employees have the group's information, so it is fair for them to have the employees' details. The group expressed hope the data would limit further harm by DHS.

Emma Best, co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, said a hacktivist known as maia arson crimew built a search tool for the public. Best stated the tool would replace anonymity with accountability and help journalists and congressional oversight. The Department of Peace did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Best said the Department of Peace harvested the data from the Okta sign-on service. Okta told Reuters it is secure and has no evidence its data or systems were compromised. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the entire dataset but matched personal information for six named DHS employees to credit bureau records. The news agency also called three employees directly and confirmed their details. One employee said it was the first they had heard of a breach.

In several cases, the leaked data matched employees' LinkedIn profiles. In other instances, it revealed non-public details about internal DHS organization charts and previously undisclosed programs.