Data for over 40,000 US Department of Homeland Security employees leaked
Sensitive personal and professional data belonging to DHS employees has been published online. This incident marks the third significant breach of US government data in just one month.
The non-profit organization Distributed Denial of Secrets has published a dataset containing information on more than 40,000 employees of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The leak includes names, phone numbers, and email addresses, alongside specific details regarding personnel involved in surveillance, human intelligence, and undercover operations. The group responsible for the breach, which identifies itself as the "Department of Peace," previously targeted DHS systems earlier this year.
DHS officials stated they are aware of the potential exposure and are actively working to address the security breach and protect affected personnel. Reuters independently verified a sample of the leaked records by comparing them to public credit reports and interviewing several employees, whose details were found to be accurate. The leak also reveals previously undisclosed organizational structures and internal projects related to immigration and cybersecurity agencies.
This incident follows a series of high-profile cyberattacks against the US government. In September, the hacking group ShinyHunters allegedly stole personnel and medical records from the FBI, and last week, the Department of Defense faced a class-action lawsuit following a separate leak affecting millions of military personnel. Cybersecurity analysts are monitoring the situation as government agencies struggle to secure internal data from persistent threats.