US: Department of Homeland Security data leak exposes details of more than 40,000 employees
Details of over 40,000 US Department of Homeland Security employees, including officials in surveillance and intelligence, were leaked on Wednesday by a nonprofit transparency group.
The data was obtained by an entity calling itself "Department of Peace" and provided to Distributed Denial of Secrets and journalist maia arson crimew. DHS confirmed it was "aware of a potential breach and is actively working to address the situation swiftly and effectively." The agency pledged to provide further updates as information becomes available.
Leaked data details
The leaked information includes names, phone numbers, and email addresses of personnel from multiple DHS agencies including ICE, CBP, USCIS, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The transparency group also provided an online search tool to help the public navigate through the data.
The leak identifies key personnel in DHS' ever-escalating rendition and deportation programs.
Recent security breaches
This marks the third major US government data breach in recent weeks. Last week, the Defense Department faced a class-action lawsuit over a breach affecting millions of current and former military personnel. In September, hacking group ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen data of thousands of FBI employees.
The leak comes as DHS has expanded its arrests and deportations over recent months, with the agency initiating a "surge in sanctuary cities" crackdown on immigration. The non-partisan Migration Policy Institute confirmed this increased enforcement activity.
Related
