Hackers reveal identities of 40,000 Homeland Security staff

A hacking group called the Department of Peace disclosed on Wednesday that it had obtained personnel records for more than 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees. The data set includes names, phone numbers, and home addresses for agents and operatives. The collection also covers staff involved in undercover operations.

The group stated it accessed the files by subverting DHS’s single sign-on system. It distributed the material to the activist collective Distributed Denial of Secrets, which published the data in a database named Icepick. The Department of Peace also shared the files with journalist Ryan Ottignon and Swiss hacker maia arson crimew. Together, the two built a searchable online index, with crimew handling the technical architecture according to Ottignon.

The leaked records show a concentration of staff in two major divisions. More than 21,000 entries identify employees with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. An additional 10,000 records relate to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its Homeland Security Investigations unit. This dataset represents approximately one-fifth of the department’s total workforce, which numbers just over 220,000 people.

Emma Best, a cofounder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, described the leak as extraordinary but deceptive in its simplicity. She noted that the data makes explicit connections between officials overseeing covert operations and key personnel in rendition and deportation programs. Other activists argue the information will aid those filing freedom of information requests, which often fail due to a lack of specific identifying details.

In response, DHS said it was aware of a potential breach and is working to address the situation swiftly. The department added that it is taking necessary steps to ensure all staff are properly protected. A spokesperson for the hackers referenced a July 17 comment by Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who said he was turning up the heat. The spokesperson stated that this is what happens to ICE when that pressure is applied.

Ottignon rejected the characterization that the group is doxing employees. He argued that public officials often hide their identities while wearing masks or plain clothes. He called this behavior unacceptable in a free society. He described the leak as one step in the process of ensuring useful government oversight. Attached to the files, Distributed Denial of Secrets wrote that since officials have public information, it is fair for the public to have theirs.

The breach follows similar hacking attacks at the FBI. While the database is not comprehensive, it provides specific contact details for a large portion of the agency’s workforce.