Data allegedly stolen from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation contains detailed information about employees working in sensitive intelligence and counterespionage roles, according to an examination of material provided by the hacking group ShinyHunters.
A 5,000-line spreadsheet reportedly includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and emergency-contact information. It also identifies some employees’ assignments involving Chinese and Russian intelligence, drug cartels, surveillance and human intelligence operations. Reuters said it independently verified details relating to more than 22 people in the sample.
The FBI said it was aware of claims that its FBIJobs.gov portal had been compromised and that employee personally identifiable information may have been affected. The bureau said the source of the breach remained undetermined and that it was investigating the incident with third-party providers supporting the recruitment portal.
ShinyHunters has claimed possession of between two and three terabytes of FBI-related data, although that broader claim has not been independently verified. Security experts warned that linking employees’ personal information with sensitive assignments could create counterintelligence, harassment, impersonation and targeted-phishing risks if the information becomes widely available.
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