Homeland Security Scrambles After Leak Exposes More Than 40,000 Workers

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a reported data leak after a hacker group claimed to have breached a login system and exposed records relating to more than 41,000 employees and contractors. Reporting by WIRED says the dataset may include personnel connected to undercover immigration-enforcement work; DHS has confirmed it is aware of a potential breach, but the full scope has not been independently established.

The group, which calls itself the Department of Peace, said it carried out the disclosure in response to stepped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. WIRED first reported the leak on October 28. The following day, DHS said it was aware of a potential breach and was working to address it swiftly and effectively.

According to WIRED, the material appears to cover DHS and its component agencies as of August 19, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The reported records include names and contact details, as well as internal references to surveillance and wiretap programmes and the department’s use of Palantir software and AI chatbots. The department has not publicly confirmed the contents or extent of the dataset.

In its October 29 statement, DHS said it takes security threats against its employees and officers seriously and would work to ensure they are properly protected. The agency did not provide further details about the investigation or measures to prevent additional disclosures.

The incident follows a separate claim by the hacking group ShinyHunters that it had obtained personal information belonging to FBI employees and their families. The FBI said it was investigating that claim. The two cases have renewed scrutiny of how US law-enforcement agencies protect personnel information amid heightened political tensions over immigration enforcement.

For now, officials have not confirmed the full scope of the DHS exposure or whether more data will emerge. If the reported records include personnel linked to undercover operations, the disclosure could create an operational security risk as well as a serious challenge for the department. The investigation is ongoing.