Hackers leak names of 40,000 Homeland Security staff

A hacking group called the Department of Peace released personnel files for more than 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees on Wednesday. The data includes names, phone numbers, and home addresses for agents and associates. The group said the leak targets the department’s leadership and its enforcement operations.

The hackers stated they gained access by compromising the DHS single sign-on system. They distributed the stolen material to Distributed Denial of Secrets, which posted the data in a database called Icepick. The Department of Peace also shared the files with journalist Ryan Ottignon and a Swiss hacker known as maia arson crimew. Together, they built a searchable online database, with crimew handling the technical infrastructure.

The breach affects multiple agencies within DHS. More than 21,000 records identify employees with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Another 10,000 records relate to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its Homeland Security Investigations unit. In total, the leaked data represents about one-fifth of the department’s workforce, which employs slightly more than 220,000 people.

Emma Best, a cofounder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, described the leak as extraordinary. She noted it makes explicit connections between officials overseeing covert operations and key personnel in deportation programs. Other activists argued the information will aid those filing freedom of information requests. They said such requests often fail because they lack specific details like names and email addresses.

DHS acknowledged the incident in a statement. The department said it is aware of a potential breach and is working to address it swiftly. It added that it is taking steps to ensure all employees are properly protected.

Ottignon rejected the idea that the release constitutes doxing government employees. He said public officials often hide their identities while conducting enforcement actions in communities across the country. He called for greater oversight of the government. A note attached to the files by DDoSecrets stated that officials have the public's information, so it is fair for the public to have theirs.

The group cited DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s July 17 comment about turning up the heat as a reason for the attack. A spokesperson for the Department of Peace said this is what happens to ICE when leadership takes that approach.