FBI investigates apparent breach of its jobs website. Hackers claim to have sensitive employee data

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Wednesday it was investigating a criminal hacking group's claims that it had stolen “very sensitive data” belonging to thousands of agents and applicants and that it had compromised the bureau's jobs website.“The FBI is aware of a cyber-criminal enterprise group claiming a compromise of the FBIJobs.gov portal and alleged impact to FBI employee personally identifiable information," the FBI said in a statement. It said that while the “point of breach” was undetermined, "we are actively and aggressively investigating this matter and working closely with those third-party providers that support FBIJobs.gov to mitigate any and all risk.”A message that circulated online from a hacking group known as ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the hack. The jobs website, the main portal for prospective employees to learn about the FBI and initiate the application process, remained offline as of Wednesday afternoon.“We have compromised the FBI.

We hold very sensitive data on almost ALL FBI Agents and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job,” said the ShinyHunters message, which was directed to FBI Director Kash Patel and Brett Leatherman, the assistant director in charge of the bureau's cyber division.The claims could not immediately be verified. An email to an address associated with ShinyHunters was not immediately returned.In its message, ShinyHunters said it would give the bureau one week to correct or remove what it says are false allegations contained in an FBI public advisory from May that described the organization as a “cyber criminal group specializing in large-scale data breaches and extortion.”That public service announcement characterized ShinyHunters as “threat actors” who often "use their real or exaggerated claims of access to sensitive or personal information to prompt payment from victims," commonly harass or threaten victims and “may falsely claim to have sensitive or compromising information, including embarrassing photographs or videos of victims, which frequently do not exist.”ShinyHunters said in its message to the FBI that it was “offended” by those characterizations and demanded that the FBI remove those claims. It did not say what would happen if the FBI did not do so within a week.“This is not a ransom, coercion, or extortion.

Your federal policies do not apply here. A criminal hacking group claims to have accessed "very sensitive data" on nearly all FBI agents and job applicants. “Very sensitive data” on nearly all FBI agents and job applicants has been breached, hackers claim.

FBIjobs.gov offline on Wednesday as ShinyHunters group claims to have accessed records of agents and applicantsThe FBI is investigating an apparent breach of its jobs website as a criminal hacking group claimed to have accessed “very sensitive data” on nearly all agents and job applicants.“The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating,” the bureau said in a statement. The website, the main portal for prospective employees to learn about the FBI and initiate the application process, remained offline Wednesday morning. A message that circulated online from a hacking group known as ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the hack.