DHS Investigating Reported Leak of 41,000 Employee Records
By chasecodewell // 2026-11-01
Copy
 
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is aware of a potential data breach that targeted the agency and is actively working to address the situation, according to a department spokesperson. The statement came after a group of activists claimed on Oct. 28 that an internal database identifying more than 41,000 DHS employees, including undercover immigration officers, was hacked and published online [1][2][3]. The reported data includes work-related information for employees across several DHS components, according to the hackers' statement [4][5]. The department said it takes all security threats against employees and officers seriously and will update the public when more information is available, according to the spokesperson [6]. DHS did not release additional details about the reported breach or the number of affected employees beyond the spokesperson's statement. The department's response remained general as of Oct. 28, and no independent confirmation of the full dataset or its contents was provided in the statements reviewed [6].

Hackers Say Data Provided to Transparency Groups

A group known as the Department of Peace allegedly hacked the database and provided copies to Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) and Swiss hacktivist maia arson crimew, according to a statement by DDoSecrets [6][4]. Crimew created an online search tool and published the data in a database called Icepick, according to DDoSecrets, which hosts leaked or hacked documents [5][7]. The leak site describes the dataset as exposing internal agency structures and the identities of agents involved in undercover operations [5]. DDoSecrets said the information was released to promote transparency about the Trump administration's deportation campaign [8]. The claims about the hack and the data contents remain attributed to the Department of Peace, DDoSecrets and crimew.

Leak Reportedly Includes Contact Details for Multiple DHS Agencies

The reported data includes email addresses, phone numbers, field offices and other work-related information for employees of several agencies under the DHS. Affected agencies in the breach include Customs and Border Protection, Federal Protective Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations [3]. Emma Best, a member of DDoSecrets, also noted that the dataset also includes officials responsible for overseeing both covert and undercover operations [3]. The data breach also identified key personnel in the department's deportation programs, Best added. More than 21,000 Border Patrol agents and almost 6,600 ICE agents were identified, per the information uploaded to the Icepick database [3].

Prior Breach and Ongoing Review

That earlier leak was described as part of a series of actions by the Department of Peace. DHS did not release additional details about the reported breach or the number of affected employees beyond the spokesperson's statement. The review is ongoing, and the department has not publicly confirmed the scope of the reported exposure.

Investigation Ongoing, DHS Says

The claims about the hack and the data contents remain attributed to the Department of Peace, DDoSecrets and crimew. No independent confirmation of the full dataset or its contents was provided in the statements reviewed. The reported leak underscores longstanding concerns about the security of federal personnel records.

References

  1. Hackers identify thousands of DHS employees in massive. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/10/28/ice-cbp-other-dhs-officer-identities-posted-online-data-breach/
  2. Hackers Leak Records of 41,000 DHS Personnel, Exposing Undercover ICE. https://cybersecuritynews.com/dhs-data-leak/
  3. 41,000 Homeland Security Employees And Undercover ICE Agents Exposed In Data Leak, Hackers Say. https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/41000-homeland-security-employees-and-undercover-ice-agents-exposed-data-leak-hackers.
  4. Hacktivists leak 41,000 DHS staff records, revealing undercover ICE agents. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/10/29/icepick-dhs-leak-ice-undercover-agents/
  5. DHS employee data leak exposes 41,000 staff records | Cybernews. https://cybernews.com/security/massive-breach-hits-dhs-41000-employees-exposed/
  6. Hack exposed details on over 40,000 DHS employees. How did it happen? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/10/29/how-did-hack-of-dhs-personnel-happen/92495757007/
  7. Hackers leak data on 41,000 Homeland Security workers, exposing. https://techstartups.com/2026/10/29/hackers-leak-data-on-41000-homeland-security-workers-exposing-undercover-ice-agents-and-surveillance-operations/
  8. Homeland Security Leak Exposes More Than. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/us/politics/homeland-security-hack.html
  9. DHS Data Leak Exposes 41,000 Employees, Agents. https://hoodline.com/2026/10/leak-exposes-data-on-41-000-dhs-workers-including-undercover-ice-agents/

Explainer Infographic

Copy