Leak website releases data on thousands of US Homeland Security employees

On October 28, the leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets released data on more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, according to Reuters. The information included names, phone numbers, and email addresses of workers from various DHS agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Job titles and email groups were also part of the exposed data, showing which agents were assigned to specific roles like surveillance, computer forensics, and undercover work.

DHS acknowledged the potential breach and is actively addressing the situation. A DHS statement highlighted their efforts to protect employees and provide updates when more information becomes available. The Department of Peace, the group responsible for the leak, claimed that the data was obtained from the Okta sign-on service used by DHS. However, Okta denied any breach, stating that their systems and data remained secure.

Reuters independently verified the leaked data by cross-referencing it with credit bureau records and dark web intelligence platforms. They were able to confirm the accuracy of personal information for six DHS employees. The leaked data also revealed nonpublic information, including internal DHS organization charts and previously undisclosed programs or operations.

The Department of Peace, which claimed responsibility for the leak, offered a search tool to the public, aiming to promote accountability and empower journalists in their pursuit of FOIA material.