Personal details belonging to more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security personnel have been released to the public, marking a significant security incident for the federal agency. The leaked information includes names, work addresses, phone numbers, and job descriptions for staff members employed across multiple DHS divisions, with the majority working for Customs and Border Protection and a smaller portion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The breach was facilitated by a group identifying itself as the Department of Peace, which accessed the information through Okta, a single sign-on security service used by many organizations. The data was subsequently made public by journalist and cybersecurity researcher maia crimew and the website Distributed Denial of Secrets in a database called Icepick. The leaked materials also included previously undisclosed operation names, leadership information, and details about technology used by the agencies, including systems provided by private companies.
DHS acknowledged awareness of the potential breach and stated it is working to address the situation. An Okta representative denied that the company’s systems were compromised, though the Department of Peace indicated it accessed agent profiles through the Okta platform. The incident represents the third significant security event targeting a US government agency in recent weeks, following breaches at the FBI and the Federal Election Commission.
Representatives of the Department of Peace attributed their actions to immigration enforcement policies, citing recent statements by the current Secretary of Homeland Security. The group characterized the leak as an effort to replace anonymity with accountability, particularly regarding personnel overseeing covert operations and deportation programs. Security experts noted the breach exposed information about immigration enforcement activities during a period of increased enforcement operations and public controversy surrounding immigration policy implementation.
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