Major Cyberattack on FBI; Sensitive Data Leaked
Mian Nadeem | Published September 24, 2026 | 03:51 PM
The data reportedly includes around 5,000 records and represents only a small portion of the 2 to 3 terabytes allegedly held by the hackers.
WASHINGTON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2026) Sensitive data belonging to employees of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has allegedly fallen into the hands of hackers, including personal information of several bureau officials and details of personnel handling sensitive China- and Russia-related counterintelligence responsibilities.
According to Reuters, data allegedly released by the hacking group ShinyHunters contains around 5,000 records. The hackers claim it represents only a small portion of the 2 to 3 terabytes of data in their possession.
The FBI has taken note of claims that a cyberattack affected employees’ personal information and has launched an investigation. However, the bureau said the actual cause of the data breach has not yet been determined.
A review of the available data by Reuters found that some information relates to Chinese and Russian intelligence activities, drug-trafficking groups, counterterrorism and covert surveillance. The data allegedly includes:
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Names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and emergency contact numbers of thousands of current and former FBI employees.
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Some employees were also reportedly linked to specific FBI field offices and units involved in sensitive work, including intelligence, security and counterintelligence.
The FBI said it was aware of a cybercriminal group’s claim that it had targeted the FBIJobs.gov portal and that personal information belonging to FBI employees had been affected. The bureau said the cause of the cyberattack had not yet been established and that an active and comprehensive investigation was underway.
The hacking group ShinyHunters had claimed that it stole a large amount of data related to current and former FBI employees. The group said it was withholding the information until the FBI retracts a critical statement issued about the group in May.