What happened
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into a suspected cyber attack on its online job portal, which may have resulted in the theft of personal information of thousands of FBI agents and their family members.
A cybercrime group known as ShinyHunters claims to have hacked into the FBI's job portal and stolen sensitive information, including names, home addresses, phone numbers, and details of agents' spouses. The group provided a sample of the stolen data, which included information on 5,000 FBI agents and their families.
US officials have confirmed that the FBI is investigating the alleged breach, which is believed to be a significant failure in the agency's cybersecurity. The stolen information could be used to threaten or harass active FBI agents or their families, and may also attract the interest of foreign intelligence services and violent crime gangs.
The suspected breach is the second major cybersecurity incident to affect the FBI this year. In April, hackers linked to China breached the FBI's listening system, one of the most serious intrusions into the agency's systems in years.
