Hackers leak details of 41,000 US immigration agents

Forty-one thousand DHS staff exposed

Details of more than forty-one thousand personnel working for the US Department of Homeland Security have been leaked publicly, including names, work addresses and phone numbers.

ICE and border agents in the breach

The leak includes thousands of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, along with descriptions of their work for each agency.

Third government hack in weeks

Wednesday's leak marks the third time in recent weeks that a government agency has been targeted by leaks or hacks.

Who accessed the data

A group called the Department of Peace accessed the information from DHS. Journalist and cybersecurity researcher maia crimew and the website Distributed Denial of Secrets put it online in a database named Icepick.

Accountability over anonymity

Emma Best, co-founder of DDoSecrets, said the aim was to replace anonymity with accountability and identify officials overseeing covert operations and deportation programs.

“The leak is extraordinary but deceptive in its simplicity as it identifies the officials responsible for overseeing covert and undercover operations.”

Okta security tool was the entry point

The Department of Peace said it accessed DHS agent profiles through Okta, a popular online security tool organisations use to control access to internal platforms.

Rising violence in immigration enforcement

Immigration operations this year have repeatedly turned violent, with ICE agents shooting at more than two dozen people and killing at least nine, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.