“Open war.” As more than seven million people took to the streets this weekend across the United States to denounce the “authoritarian excesses” of US President Donald Trump, the protest against his policies also continues online.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, at the center of controversies after brutal arrests, mass expulsions and a new social media surveillance policy, is a particular target.
Against this backdrop, a group of “Com” hackers, an informal community behind some of the largest data breaches in recent years, leaked the names and personal information of hundreds of government officials, including employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Personal data of hundreds of US officials
Media 404 analyzed several files published on the Telegram channel of a group of hackers who claimed to be “Com.” These documents contained the alleged personal data of hundreds of US officials: 680 from the DHS, more than 170 email addresses from the FBI and 190 agents from the Department of Justice.
Some of the information, verified by cybersecurity firm District 4 Labs, matched actual government employees, sometimes even their home addresses. In one provocative message, one hacker even wrote: “Mexican cartels, contact me! We are releasing all confidential documents. Where is my million?”
The post referenced a claim by the Department of Homeland Security that Mexican cartels had begun offering thousands of dollars for the release of sensitive information. The US government has not provided any evidence for this claim.
This leak comes as the DHS mentions an increase of “more than 1,000% in attacks and threats against its agents” since Donald Trump’s return to power. Figures criticized by some experts. But since then, US authorities have intensified surveillance of platforms accused of spreading information about ICE and DHS agents, leading to the removal of applications such as “Eyes Up” or “Ice Block” by Apple.
Source: BFM TV
