A hacktivist group stole records for more than 41,000 Homeland Security personnel and received assistance to publish the information online, as reported by Wired, the Washington Post, and NPR. The compromised records feature email addresses, telephone numbers, and office locations of the staff, alongside sensitive details regarding the agency’s undercover and surveillance operations.
Details of the Compromised Personnel
Among the leaked entries, 21,000 identify individuals affiliated with US Customs and Border Protection, while 10,000 entries pertain to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff. A third of those entries connect to the Homeland Security Investigations unit, which functions as the criminal investigative branch of ICE. In total, the breaches reveal information concerning one-seventh of the total workforce within Homeland Security.
The hacktivist collective naming itself the Department of Peace issued a statement explaining their motive, referencing a press conference held by the DHS Secretary. During the briefing, when questioned about holding agents accountable for violating use of force policies following the fatal shootings of Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo—neither of whom were targets of ICE enforcement—the Secretary stated the agency was turning up the heat on the streets.
Method of the Breach and Response
The perpetrators reportedly acquired the data through Okta, the single sign-on platform utilized by the DHS, which allows users to log in once for full access to backend systems, cloud services, and mobile applications. Okta informed Wired that investigators discovered no proof that its infrastructure or information had been breached. The hackers distributed the information to the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets and Swiss cybersecurity researcher maia arson crimew, who then established a searchable online database utilizing the provided material.
The hackers asserted in an accompanying note that since the agency possesses their information, it is only fair that the public has access to the agency’s details. Distributed Denial of Secrets named the database “Icepick,” with founder Emma Best noting that the files establish connections among officials managing covert operations and key figures within deportation and rendition programs.
A spokesperson for Homeland Security stated that the agency acknowledges a potential breach and is actively working to resolve the issue swiftly and effectively. The spokesperson emphasized that the agency treats all security threats against employees and officers with utmost seriousness to guarantee proper protection, promising updates to the public as new information emerges.
