FBI reportedly declares ‘cyber security incident’ after hackers steal agents’ personal data

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has informed its personnel that their personal data was stolen in a recent cyberattack that targeted the bureau's job application portal. This marks the first time the FBI has acknowledged the theft of agents' personal information in the breach. Initially, the FBI only stated it was aware of a hacking group claiming responsibility for the cyberattack, without confirming data theft.

However, as reported by MS NOW's Ken Dilanian, the FBI has now declared a "cybersecurity incident" to staff, revealing that names, addresses, job titles, and Social Security numbers were exposed. Some stolen data also included medical records, blood and urine samples, and psychiatric reports. The hacking group, ShinyHunters, claimed to have data on "mostly all of FBI" and a "substantial" amount of information on applicants who used the FBIJobs.gov portal.

The group exploited a vulnerability in an Oracle PeopleSoft server, which stores HR information on agents and applicants. ShinyHunters stated they are not seeking a financial ransom but want the FBI to correct an earlier report that misrepresented their activities. National security expert Justin Sherman called the breach a "counterintelligence disaster" for the U.S. government, warning that the data theft would expose thousands of FBI personnel to profiling, phishing, and foreign intelligence approaches.

The FBI has notified employees, but it's unclear if they've informed lawmakers with oversight of the bureau, as federal law requires notification of a "major incident" involving personally identifiable information that could harm national security. The FBI's spokesperson did not respond to inquiries about whether a major incident occurred, and several lawmakers' representatives also did not comment. The FBI's job site, used since 2017, remains offline at the time of publication.