Hacktivist Group Leaks Details of More Than 41,000 US Homeland Security Officials

The identities of more than 41,000 officials from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have allegedly been exposed in a data breach claimed by a hacktivist group calling itself the Department of Peace. The database was posted late Wednesday US time on Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit dedicated to news leaks. The group claims the data was obtained from an Okta single sign-on service used by the DHS.

The searchable database appears to reveal employee names, offices, contact information and assignments. It seems to include staff from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection and DHS headquarters. Distributed Denial of Secrets said it is not a comprehensive list of all DHS employees, and that it identifies many of the people who drive DHS policy and operations. The hacker group said the leak was a response to remarks by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin about intensifying immigration arrests and traffic stops.

Okta did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did the DHS. The agency told the Washington Post it was "aware of a potential breach" and was "working to address the situation swiftly and effectively." The claims have not been independently confirmed, so details may change as the investigation continues.