High-profile hacking group ShinyHunters, responsible for a previous breach at Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games, has asserted that it has infiltrated the Federal Bureau of Investigations' internal systems. A representative of the group stated that they now hold data on "all" FBI employees and applicants, and provided a sample of what appears to be personal information of 5,000 employees to 404 Media. This data reportedly includes addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth, with some entries also containing details about spouses.
Reuters independently verified a portion of the leaked information by cross-referencing it with existing public records and previously compromised data, including details pertaining to current FBI director Kash Patel. The FBI's jobs website was also defaced with a message from ShinyHunters, proclaiming the site's seizure and mirroring the common aftermath of FBI cybercriminal raids. The site is now displaying a "down for maintenance" notice.
An FBI spokesperson acknowledged awareness of the claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting the FBIjobs.gov website and stated that an investigation is underway. ShinyHunters claims this latest attack was not financially motivated, with their intentions described as "coercion" rather than extortion.
The alleged breach appears to be a direct response to a recent FBI report detailing ShinyHunters' operational tactics. The report accused the group of exaggerating data access to solicit payments and employing harassment, threatening communications, and swatting as extortion methods. ShinyHunters has refuted these allegations, demanding the FBI retract or correct the information within one week. The repercussions of this ultimatum remain unclear.