40,000 DHS workers exposed in new data breach

More than 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees had their personal data released on a leak website on Wednesday. The dataset contains names, phone numbers, and email addresses for staff across multiple agencies. It also includes job titles and internal email groups.

The leak was published by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit data transparency group. The group said the data comes from an entity calling itself the Department of Peace. This release is the third major government data breach to make news in the last month.

The breach affects workers from several DHS components. These include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. Staff from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are also included in the files.

The data reveals which agents were assigned to specific roles. It lists assignments for special operations, surveillance jobs, computer forensics, and undercover work. This level of detail goes beyond basic contact information and maps internal organizational structures.

DHS said it is aware of the potential breach and is working to address it swiftly. The agency stated it is ensuring employees are properly protected. It promised to update the public when more information becomes available.

In a statement, Distributed Denial of Secrets co-founder Emma Best explained the release. She said a hacktivist known as maia arson crimew created a search tool for the data. Best said the tool is designed to replace anonymity with accountability and assist journalists and congressional oversight.

The Department of Peace stated that DHS employees hold their information, so it is fair for the public to have the agency's data. The group said it hopes the release limits further harm by DHS. It claimed responsibility for hacking DHS in March and posting vendor contract documents.

Emma Best said the Department of Peace harvested the data from the Okta sign-on service used by DHS. Okta responded to a query from Reuters by stating it is secure and has no evidence its systems were compromised. Reuters could not immediately corroborate the specific technical claim.

Reuters verified the authenticity of the data by matching personal information for six DHS employees against credit bureau records. The news agency also confirmed phone numbers and other details by calling three employees directly. One employee said they had not heard of a breach before the call.

The data includes both public and non-public information. Some details match employees' LinkedIn profiles. Other parts reveal internal organization charts and previously undisclosed programs. The leak follows a September claim by ShinyHunters regarding FBI data and a recent lawsuit over a military personnel breach.