● Covered by 7 sources · 8 reportsMedium impact7 negative1 neutral
Data Breach Exposes Information of Over 40,000 DHS Employees
Key points
- Over 40,000 DHS employee records were published online.
- Data includes names, job titles, email addresses, and phone numbers.
- The breach originated from an Okta single sign-on system.
- "Department of Peace" claimed responsibility; DDoSecrets published the data.
- Approximately 21,000 records belong to CBP employees.
- Over 41,000 DHS employee records were published online.
- Data includes office addresses.
- Data includes sensitive details about agency undercover and surveillance programs.
- Approximately 10,000 records belong to ICE personnel.
- A third of the records are related to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.
- The leaks expose details of a seventh of Homeland Security's workforce.
- The hacktivist group referenced DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's July 17th statement.
- Approximately 1,000 CISA employees had their information leaked.
- The leaked records were last updated on August 19, 2026.
- DDoSecrets published the archive, named “Icepick,” on Wednesday.
- Bluesky is blocking links to the DDoSecrets website hosting the leaked data.
- Bluesky cited community guidelines prohibiting unauthorized sharing of personal information.
Extensive DHS Employee Data Leaked
Personally identifiable information belonging to more than 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees has been published online. The leaked data includes names, job titles, work contact information such as email addresses, cell phone numbers, and office locations. This breach affects personnel across various DHS agencies, including border and immigration agents, cybersecurity staffers, and senior department officials.
Source of the Breach
A hacker group operating under the name "Department of Peace" claimed responsibility for obtaining the data. They stated the information was stolen from an Okta single sign-on system utilized by Homeland Security. This system allows employees and contractors from different agencies to access the central network and also contains IT and login records, including details about system and internal application access permissions.
Affected Agencies and Data Scope
The leaked dataset includes records from DHS itself and seven component agencies. More than half of the records, approximately 21,000, pertain to employees of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Nearly 7,000 records belong to staff at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Other affected agencies include the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The data also contains references to internal systems and sensitive information related to undercover and surveillance programs, and in some cases, links agencies to specific surveillance tools.
Publication and Stated Motivation
The transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), in collaboration with cybersecurity researcher and journalist maia arson crimew, published the archive, which they named "Icepick," on Wednesday. In a press release, DDoSecrets confirmed the data originated from DHS's Okta login system. The hackers included a note with the files stating, "They have our information, so it's only fair that we have theirs." Emma Best, a co-founder of DDoSecrets, stated that the goal of the leak was not to create a directory of every DHS agent but rather to replace "anonymity with accountability."
Timeline and Okta's Response
The records were last updated on August 19, 2026. An Okta spokesperson informed WIRED that the company is unaware of any breach of its systems. This incident marks the third time in recent weeks that a government agency has been targeted in leaks or hacks.
Updates
- Approximately 1,000 CISA employees had their information leaked.
- The leaked records were last updated on August 19, 2026.
- DDoSecrets published the archive, named “Icepick,” on Wednesday.
- Bluesky is blocking links to the DDoSecrets website hosting the leaked data.
- Bluesky cited community guidelines prohibiting unauthorized sharing of personal information.
- Over 41,000 DHS employee records were published online.
- Data includes office addresses.
- Data includes sensitive details about agency undercover and surveillance programs.
- Approximately 10,000 records belong to ICE personnel.
- A third of the records are related to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.
- The leaks expose details of a seventh of Homeland Security's workforce.
- The hacktivist group referenced DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's July 17th statement.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Bluesky is blocking links to a DDoSecrets website hosting leaked personnel data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The social network stated its community guidelines prohibit unauthorized sharing of personal information that could pose safety risks, citing the inclusion of email addresses and phone numbers in the dataset.
A leak of Department of Homeland Security records has exposed details for over 41,000 employees and contractors, including email addresses, phone numbers, office addresses, and information on internal systems and surveillance programs. The data, obtained by a group calling itself the Department of Peace, provides insight into DHS's organization and operations, raising concerns about the security of sensitive government information.
A threat actor named "Department of Peace" leaked a database containing personal and work information for over 41,000 US Department of Homeland Security employees. The compromised data includes names, emails, job titles, and system access records, potentially providing a roadmap for further attacks against DHS systems.
A hacktivist group named "Department of Peace" leaked personal details, including email addresses and phone numbers, of over 41,000 Homeland Security personnel. The data, reportedly stolen via the Okta single sign-on service, includes information on ICE agents and border police, and also sensitive details about agency undercover programs. This leak exposes a significant portion of the DHS workforce and was shared with transparency non-profit Distributed Denial of Secrets.
A group called the Department of Peace and cybersecurity researcher maia crimew leaked personal details of over 41,000 US Department of Homeland Security personnel, including immigration enforcement agents. The leak, shared via a database named Icepick on Distributed Denial of Secrets, aims to increase accountability for DHS operations.
A hacker known as "Department of Peace" stole personal information for over 40,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, including staff from ICE and CBP. The breach, conducted via Okta, exposed names, job titles, contact details, and linked agencies to surveillance tools, raising concerns about employee privacy and operational security.
A leak of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records has exposed details for over 41,000 employees and contractors, including email addresses, phone numbers, office addresses, and references to internal systems and sensitive programs. The data, obtained by the group "Department of Peace" and published by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), provides insight into DHS organization and operations, raising significant security and privacy concerns for personnel, including undercover agents.
A hacker published online personally identifiable information belonging to over 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees, including names, job titles, and work contact details. The data was reportedly stolen from an Okta single sign-on system used by DHS, marking another significant breach for the U.S. government.