Hacktivist group releases searchable database of 40,000 DHS employee records
A hacktivist group called the Department of Peace claims to have stolen personal and professional data on over 40,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, including undercover agents. The data, which includes names, phone numbers, and internal assignments, was published on the transparency platform Distributed Denial of Secrets. The breach targets the anonymity of enforcement agents and follows a series of major federal data leaks.
Key points
- The Department of Peace claims to have exploited DHS's Okta single sign-on system to steal the data.
- The leak includes records for over 21,000 Customs and Border Protection employees and 10,000 ICE personnel.
- Distributed Denial of Secrets published a searchable database named Icepick, which includes details on undercover operations.
- DHS confirmed awareness of a potential breach and stated it is working to protect its employees.
- The leak follows recent major breaches at the FBI and the Pentagon involving millions of records.
Background
This incident is part of a broader wave of federal data breaches in 2026. In September, the FBI suffered a massive leak involving sensitive employee data, and last week the Pentagon faced a class-action lawsuit after a breach exposed data on millions of military and civilian personnel. Earlier in 2026, the Department of Peace also claimed responsibility for hacking DHS to expose vendor contracts.
How outlets are covering it
NPR and The Guardian emphasize the leak's impact on undercover agents and the potential for increased public oversight, noting that the data reveals internal organizational charts. Fox News frames the event as a catastrophic security incident, highlighting the exposure of contact details for thousands of officers. CNBC focuses on the technical aspect, noting the data was allegedly obtained from Okta, though the company denied any compromise of its systems. While NPR and The Guardian highlight the activists' argument for accountability, Fox News emphasizes the security risks to government personnel.
Why it matters
The breach exposes the identities of agents involved in controversial deportation and enforcement operations, potentially increasing the risk of harassment or violence against them. It also provides journalists and activists with specific names and titles to file more effective freedom of information requests, challenging the agency's ability to maintain operational secrecy.
What to watch
DHS is actively investigating the breach and working to secure its systems. The public database remains accessible, and activists plan to use the data to guide public records requests and congressional oversight. Okta has denied any compromise of its systems, but the incident raises questions about the security of federal single sign-on services.
- Hackers expose the identities of more than 40,000 DHS employees NPR
- DHS investigates massive data breach exposing 40,000 employees, including ICE and Border Patrol agents Fox News
- Non-profit group leaks data of more than 40,000 homeland security workers The Guardian
- Over 41,000 U.S. Homeland Security officials' details apparently exposed after massive data breach CNBC
- Bluesky Is Blocking Links to a Major Leak of DHS Employee Records WIRED
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