Tech · October 28, 2026
A hacker stole more than 40,000 DHS employee records
A major data breach at the Department of Homeland Security has reportedly exposed the personal information of approximately 40,000 employees and contractors. The leaked data includes names, job titles, office locations, phone numbers, and email addresses for personnel within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with reports attributing the breach to a hacker known as 'Department of Peace' or a group calling themselves 'Distributed Denial of Secrets.' The breach allegedly occurred through Okta, a third-party identity management service used by the agency.
Read the original coverage
- The VergeTrade
A hacker stole more than 40,000 DHS employee records
Read at The Verge ↗ - NPRMainstream
Hackers expose the identities of more than 40,000 DHS employees
Read at NPR ↗ - Fox NewsMainstream
DHS investigates massive data breach exposing 40,000 employees, including ICE and Border Patrol agents
Read at Fox News ↗
Reported by multiple outlets
- Approximately 40,000 DHS employee and contractor records were exposed in a data breach.
- The leaked information includes names, job titles, locations, phone numbers, and email addresses.
- Personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are included in the data.
Reported by only some outlets
- The hacker is identified as 'Department of Peace.'
- The group 'Distributed Denial of Secrets' is involved in disseminating the data.
- The breach was facilitated through Okta, an identity and access management service.
- Data from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was included.
- The data links agencies to specific surveillance tools.
- The breach includes records of undercover agents.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is leading the department during the investigation.
Industry-friendly coverage frames it as…
Focuses on the technical failure of identity management service Okta and the specific types of data assets compromised.
Skeptical / consumer coverage frames it as…
Highlights the privacy risks to government employees and the lack of transparency that motivated the hackers.
Numbers that differ
- Total records stolen: NPR reports more than 40,000; The Verge reports more than 41,000; Fox News reports approximately 40,000.
- ICE employees affected: The Verge reports nearly 7,000; Fox News reports roughly 10,000.
- CBP employees affected: The Verge reports around 21,000; Fox News reports more than 20,000.
Political angle
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CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.