Hacker Exposes Personnel Data of 40,000 Homeland Security Employees

The breach affects a significant cross-section of the department, encompassing 21,000 Customs and Border Protection staff, 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees, and personnel from CISA and the Federal Protective Service. The files detail not only contact information but also the specific internal software and third-party surveillance tools accessible to these employees. Among the exposed records are user groups linked to Penlink, a firm specializing in mobile device tracking, and Mobile Fortify, a facial-recognition application utilized at ports of entry.

While Okta stated that its own systems remain secure and were not compromised, the leak offers an unprecedented look into the agency's digital infrastructure. Beyond administrative data, the files reveal access groups for Microsoft 365, Adobe, and even specific investigations into foreign hacking groups like Salt Typhoon. Transparency advocates note that the exposure of direct contact information for federal agents provides a critical resource for journalists and researchers filing Freedom of Information Act requests. The data, verified by TechCrunch, was distributed via the nonprofit collective DDoSecrets, with the hacker claiming the leak serves as a retaliatory measure for government surveillance activities.