Hackers Reveal Personal Data of Over 40,000 DHS Agents in Major Breach

Over 41,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workers and undercover ICE agents' personal details were recently leaked, marking a substantial breach of sensitive information ¹²³⁴⁵⁶. The exposure includes email addresses, phone numbers, and office addresses, among other particulars, providing a detailed glimpse into the lives of these federal employees ¹⁶.

Transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets and a journalist obtained the data, which was last updated on August 19, 2026, and covers DHS and seven component agencies, including ICE and CBP ³⁶. The Department of Peace, the self-proclaimed name of the hackers, claimed responsibility for obtaining the data from DHS's Okta sign-on service ³⁶.

Okta, the login system used by DHS for its records, stated there was no evidence of a breach in their systems, indicating the leak might have originated elsewhere within the DHS infrastructure ¹⁵. Reuters verified some of the personal information in the leak through credit bureau records and direct contact with DHS employees, confirming the accuracy of the data ³².

The leaked information includes job titles and details about special operations and undercover work, revealing ICE agents' access to web surveillance tools and online therapy services such as Headspace ³⁵⁶. Additionally, almost 1,000 records are for CISA employees, and several user groups referenced Penlink, a web surveillance company with a contract with ICE ⁵.

Emma Best, co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, stated that the data would increase accountability, highlighting the significance of the breach for transparency and public understanding of government operations ³. The leak occurred at a time when DHS was trying to unmask social media critics and protestors, adding a layer of complexity to the situation ³.

This incident is the third significant US government data breach in recent weeks, following one at the Defense Department and another involving FBI employee data ². The Department of Homeland Security's ongoing efforts to expand its definition of 'doxing' and pursue its critics make this latest breach particularly noteworthy ¹⁶.

What we know

• Over 41,000 DHS workers and undercover ICE agents' details were leaked ¹²³⁴⁵⁶
• Transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets and a journalist obtained the data ¹²³⁴⁵⁶
• Okta is the login system used by DHS for its records ¹⁴⁵
• Over 21,000 records pertain to CBP employees ³⁴⁵
• Okta stated there was no evidence of a breach in their systems ¹⁵
• Reuters verified some of the personal information in the leak ³²
• The leak contains job titles and details about special operations and undercover work ³⁶
• The Department of Peace claimed responsibility for obtaining the data from DHS's Okta sign-on service ³⁶
• The data includes email addresses, phone numbers, and office addresses ¹⁶
• The leak covers DHS and seven component agencies, including ICE and CBP ¹⁶
• DHS has been pursuing its critics and expanding definition of 'doxing' ¹⁶
• The leak occurred at a time when DHS was trying to unmask social media critics and protestors ³
• The data revealed ICE agents' access to web surveillance tools and online therapy services ⁵
• Data was last updated on August 19, 2026 ¹⁶
• Hackers called themselves the 'Department of Peace' ¹⁶
• This is the third significant US government data breach in recent weeks ²
• Previous breaches included one at the Defense Department and another involving FBI employee data ²
• Almost 1,000 records are for CISA employees ⁵
• Emma Best, co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, stated the data would increase accountability ³
• Over 200 CBP users are associated with Mobile Fortify, a facial recognition app ⁵
• Some senior DHS officials have access to ChatGPT ⁵

What remains unclear

• The exact number of ICE agents whose details were leaked is disputed, with reports ranging from around 6,600 to a different figure ³⁴⁵