FBI investigates ShinyHunters claim of major personnel data theft
publishers 9articles 10first reported 23 Sep, 15:12 UTCdeveloping since 22 Sep · 8 editions
The FBI is investigating claims by cybercrime group ShinyHunters that it stole a large collection of sensitive records on current and former bureau employees and job applicants after compromising systems connected to FBIJobs.gov.
The bureau said it was aware of a claimed compromise of the jobs portal and possible exposure of employees’ personally identifiable information. It said the point of entry—an FBI system or a third-party provider—remained undetermined and that it was working with providers to mitigate risks. The jobs website was reportedly defaced and taken offline.
ShinyHunters claims to hold two to three terabytes of data. Samples reviewed by Reuters, the BBC and other news organizations appeared to include names, home addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, Social Security numbers, badge numbers, spouse and emergency-contact details. BBC News also reported seeing medical examinations containing blood and urine test results and doctors’ notes.
Some records reportedly identify employees’ assignments, including work involving China, Russia, Iran, drug cartels and counterintelligence. 404 Media reported that personnel from the FBI’s secretive Remote Operations Unit, which develops tools for hacking targets’ devices, were among those exposed.
The group says it is not demanding money. Instead, it wants the FBI to retract or revise a May advisory stating that ShinyHunters sometimes uses exaggerated claims of access to pressure victims into paying. The hackers threatened to publish the databases if the demand was not met. Their claims about the full scope of the theft and how they gained access have not been independently confirmed.
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Written from 8 articles, 7 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
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