Hackers Claim to Have 'Highly Sensitive Data' on Nearly All FBI Agents
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The FBI is investigating an apparent breach of its employment website after a group of hackers claimed to have accessed 'highly sensitive data' on nearly all agents and job applicants. 'The FBI is aware of the claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating,' the agency stated in a release. The website, the main portal for candidates to learn about the FBI and start the job application process, remained down on Wednesday. A message circulating online from a hacker group known as ShinyHunters took credit for the attack. The message, directed at FBI Director Kash Patel and the deputy in charge of the FBI's cyber division, indicated that the group has 'compromised highly sensitive data on nearly ALL FBI agents and individuals who applied for a job with the FBI.' The claims could not be verified, and an FBI spokesperson declined to comment further. An email sent to an address associated with the organization did not receive a response. In their message, ShinyHunters stated they would give the agency a week to correct or retract what the group claims are false allegations in a May public service announcement from the FBI that described the organization as a 'cybercriminal group specializing in large-scale data leaks and extortion.' That announcement describes ShinyHunters as 'malicious actors' who often 'use real or exaggerated claims of access to sensitive or personal information to extort payments from victims,' harass or threaten victims, and 'may falsely claim to have sensitive or compromising information, including embarrassing photos or videos of victims, which often do not exist.' ShinyHunters expressed in their message to the FBI that they felt 'offended' by those characterizations and demanded that the agency retract those claims. The FBI has frequently been a target of cyberattacks. In March, the FBI revealed it was investigating 'suspicious activities' in an internal system containing sensitive information related to surveillance operations and investigations. Also that month, a pro-Iranian hacker group claimed to have hacked Patel's account and posted online what appeared to be old photographs of him, along with a resume and other personal documents dating back over a decade.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
