DHS Breach: Hacker Group Exposes Records of 40,000 Federal Workers

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a major data breach that exposed the personal contact information of approximately 40,000 employees and contractors. The incident, which sources described as a catastrophic security failure, compromised the names, job titles, and work locations of federal staff. In many cases, the leaked data included direct phone numbers and email addresses. The breach specifically affects roughly 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and more than 20,000 U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees, including Border Patrol agents.

An anti-fascist hacking group calling itself the Department of Peace claimed responsibility for obtaining the records. The group released the data on the Distributed Denial of Secrets website on Wednesday. Emma Best, a co-founder of that platform, stated that the team developed a search tool to allow the public to access the information. She said the tool aims to replace anonymity with accountability. The Department of Peace added that DHS employees already hold personal data on the public, making the exchange fair. The group said it hopes the data limits further harm caused by the department.

Multiple sources confirmed the authenticity of portions of the leaked files. Independent checks verified that the records include the names of several undercover ICE agents operating in different parts of the country. A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the department is actively addressing the situation. The statement noted that officials take all security threats against employees and officers seriously. The department pledged to keep personnel protected and will update the public when more information becomes available.

This incident follows a series of high-profile breaches in federal personnel databases. Last month, a Pentagon database breach exposed sensitive personal information for more than 2.76 million living U.S. military and civilian personnel. That leak also affected 294,000 deceased individuals. Unauthorized users accessed unencrypted files containing Social Security numbers and employment details between October 2025 and July 2026. A Pentagon official confirmed the timeline and the nature of the data exposed in that earlier incident.