A week after a cybercriminal group claimed to steal sensitive personal data on thousands of current and former FBI employees, the bureau is still assessing the extent of the damage while facing internal criticism about the agency’s handling of the incident.
It’s one of the most serious breaches of agency data in years, but some FBI employees have felt left in the dark about whether they’re affected and underwhelmed by the security resources being offered to victims, according to current and former officials.
“Management is lost,” one ex-FBI agent in touch with their former colleagues told CNN. “They’re not providing any clear advice to agents.”
The issue began a week ago, when hackers broke into an online portal hosting information on FBI job applicants. Social Security numbers, emergency contact information and personal addresses were in the stolen data.
The hackers demanded that the FBI amend a previous advisory issued about the group, saying it was “offended” over how the agency described its alleged tactics for extorting victim organizations.
Many at the FBI and within the cybersecurity industry took the demand as a tacit threat that the hackers would leak the stolen data. (The cybercriminal group now claims that it never planned to publish any of the stolen data, but they have a history of doing so with other victims).
The hackers responsible, known as ShinyHunters, have previously targeted “major companies across tech, finance, and retail, often stealing millions of customer records at once,” according to the FBI’s advisory on the group.
