Information on more than 40,000 US Department of Homeland Security employees has been published online, with some media outlets reporting the number of affected individuals as 41,000. The database includes names, work phone numbers, email addresses and positions. The employees include representatives of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The data was published on October 28 by Distributed Denial of Secrets. In parallel, a separate search engine was created that allows for querying individual records. The Department of Peace group said it had obtained the information, but the full scope and authenticity of the entire database have not yet been confirmed.
DHS requests data restriction
The Department of Homeland Security has asked Icelandic hosting company FlokiNET to remove or restrict access to the published information. The request, sent via ZeroFox, states that the database “puts more than 40,000 identifiable individuals at risk of harassment, stalking and physical violence“, Reuters reported.
A DHS representative said the agency “is aware of the potential breach and is actively working to quickly and effectively contain the situation“. "We take all threats to the security of our employees and officers seriously and will work to ensure that they are adequately protected," he added.
FlokiNET, however, has refused to remove the data. CEO Kolha Weber told Reuters that the published database contains work addresses and telephone numbers, not personal contacts. Therefore, the company did not accept the request as sufficient grounds for removing the content.
Number of affected is still being specified
Different publications use similar, but not exactly identical, numbers - "over 40,000" and 41,000 employees. The difference likely stems from the way the records were counted, but DHS has not released a final count of the individuals affected.
The information released is particularly sensitive because of the positions of some of the employees working in immigration and border structures. According to media reports, the database also includes employees whose identities are not usually disclosed publicly.
There is no public confirmation yet that the leaked data was used for specific attacks or other crimes. The next steps are related to establishing the origin of the information, verifying the records and restricting access to them.
Sources: reuters.com, theguardian.com, thedailybeast.com