A major data breach of FBI systems likely also affected staffers across the Justice Department, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO.
FBI investigators determined in September that a hack of a bureau jobs portal was a “major” cyber incident, allowing hackers to steal personal information on thousands of FBI agents, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, phone numbers, addresses and emergency contacts.
A memo sent Friday by Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Francey Hakes to “select” U.S. attorney community employees warns that some Justice Department employees in U.S. attorney offices may also have had their personal information stolen in the same hack. The jobs portal holds information from background checks on DOJ employees and job applicants, the notice said.
“The FBI is working diligently to analyze the data and validate the contact information of individuals impacted by this compromise to enable prompt notifications,” the DOJ said in a statement. “Prudential notifications are being sent to impacted employees and other individuals on a rolling basis and formal notifications will continue to be sent when FBI confirms the specific data of each individual impacted.”