Hackers Expose ICE, DHS, DOJ, and FBI Officials’ Data

A significant data breach has exposed the personal information of hundreds of federal law enforcement officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI, and the Department of Justice (DOJ). This incident, carried out by a hacker associated with the cybercriminal collective known as “the Com,” involved the public posting of spreadsheets containing names, email addresses, phone numbers, and even home addresses of officials. The leak appears to be a direct response to unverified claims that Mexican cartels have offered bounties for such information.

In a separate but equally alarming development, a recent academic study demonstrated that sensitive satellite communications are being transmitted completely unencrypted. Researchers from UC San Diego and the University of Maryland were able to intercept a wide range of data, including T-Mobile calls and texts, in-flight Wi-Fi sessions, and military communications, using only $800 worth of readily available equipment. This exposes a massive, overlooked vulnerability in global communications infrastructure.

Facial recognition technology continues to present significant accessibility problems. WIRED interviewed six individuals with facial differences who report being systematically locked out of essential services because the systems fail to recognize their faces. These flaws highlight the real-world consequences of deploying biased and imperfect AI for critical identification purposes.

On the cryptocurrency front, US and UK authorities announced the historic seizure of nearly 130,000 bitcoins, valued at approximately $15 billion at the time, from an alleged Cambodian scam operation. This represents the largest financial confiscation of any kind in US history, marking a major victory in the fight against large-scale international cybercrime.

Election security is under a new spotlight after a single individual, former Republican operative Scott Leiendecker, gained control over a substantial part of the US election infrastructure. His recent purchase of Dominion Voting Systems, combined with his ownership of the electronic poll book firm Knowink, has raised questions among experts about the consolidation of power, though immediate concerns about foul play appear limited.

The cybersecurity world was also shaken by a sophisticated attack on the security firm F5, which is reportedly linked to a Chinese threat actor. This breach poses an “imminent threat” to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Meanwhile, a new type of attack threatens to steal two-factor authentication codes from Android devices, underscoring the persistent evolution of digital threats.

Adding another layer to the complex landscape of state-sponsored cyber activity, European media outlets Le Monde and Die Zeit reported on a secretive FBI task force, known as “Group 78.” This unit is alleged to have briefed European officials on a strategy to combat the Russian-speaking Black Basta ransomware gang. The reported tactics include conducting covert operations inside Russia to disrupt the gang and even attempting to manipulate Russian authorities into prosecuting its members. Such actions, if confirmed, would represent an unprecedented escalation in Western efforts to counter ransomware threats. The Black Basta group has been inactive since a leak of 200,000 of its internal messages.

Finally, the pervasive use of AI-powered license plate recognition cameras is drawing increased scrutiny from lawmakers. A letter from Senator Ron Wyden revealed that agencies including ICE, the Secret Service, and the Navy have access to data from Flock Safety’s vast network of over 80,000 cameras. Wyden expressed grave concerns, stating that abuses of the system are “inevitable” and that the company seems unwilling or unable to prevent them. He has gone so far as to advise local communities to remove Flock cameras to protect their residents’ privacy.

(Source: Wired)