Details of thousands of US immigration agents leaked in major hack
A group called the Department of Peace released information on more than 41,000 DHS staff.
More than 41,000 individuals working for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have had their personal information leaked online. This includes staff involved in immigration enforcement, such as agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection. The leak reveals names, addresses, phone numbers, and descriptions of their duties for each agency. DHS representatives have not yet commented on the breach.
The leak was orchestrated by a group named the Department of Peace, alongside cybersecurity researcher and hacker Maia Crimew. The stolen data is stored in a database called Icepick and shared through a website hosted by Distributed Denial of Secrets. Over 21,000 of the affected agents work for the CBP, while nearly 6,600 are part of ICE.
The leak also includes information about agents with Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, and personnel from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The groups behind the leak stated that their intention was not to create a comprehensive directory of DHS employees, but rather to promote accountability. Emma Best, a co-founder of DDoSecrets, explained that the leak exposes officials overseeing covert operations and key personnel involved in DHS's deportation and rendition programs. The Department of Peace claims that ICE agents were responsible for the hack and posted this on July 17th, emphasizing that turning up the heat on ICE would have consequences.
Okta, a commonly used online security tool, was the platform through which the Department of Peace accessed DHS employee profiles. Okta has denied any compromise to their systems. The FBI was recently hacked, and the Federal Election Commission's website was taken offline due to a suspected hacking attempt. Public sentiment towards US immigration enforcement has been growing, particularly since the Trump Administration intensified deportations and arrests.
Immigration operations have become increasingly violent, with ICE agents shooting and killing multiple individuals this year, despite not being the targets of their arrests.
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