A hacktivist group called Department of Peace said it breached DHS's single sign-on system, stealing names, phone numbers and addresses of more than 40,000 agency personnel, including undercover operatives. The data was shared with Distributed Denial of Secrets and published in a searchable database called Icepick, built with help from journalist Ryan Ottignon and hacker maia arson crimew. DHS confirmed it is aware of a potential breach and is working to address it, with over 21,000 records tied to CBP staff and roughly 10,000 to ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations unit.
text.npr.org
· 2026-10-29
Distributed Denial of Secrets published an archive called 'Icepick' containing login records for more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and contractors across DHS and seven component agencies, including ICE and CBP. The files include contact details and over 55,000 permission groups showing which surveillance and investigative systems—such as Palantir's Falcon, PenLink, and wiretap programs—each person can access, with records last updated in August. DDoSecrets says the data came from DHS's Okta login system, a claim Okta disputes, stating it has no evidence of a breach.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-29
A group calling itself the Department of Peace stole and released records for more than 41,000 Homeland Security personnel, including email addresses, phone numbers and office locations, plus details tied to undercover and surveillance programs. About 21,000 records belong to Customs and Border Protection staff and 10,000 to ICE personnel, with a third of those linked to Homeland Security Investigations. The group says it obtained the data through Okta, the single sign-on service DHS uses, though Okta told Wired it found no evidence its own systems or data were compromised.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-29
A hacker using the handle Department of Peace has published personally identifiable information for more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, obtained in a previously undisclosed breach of DHS's Okta single sign-on system. The leaked records include names, job titles, work emails, cell numbers and office locations, with over 21,000 tied to Customs and Border Protection staff and roughly 10,000 tied to ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations unit. The hacker left a note saying the data was released because the agency holds information on the public.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-28
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo last month permitting the Department of Homeland Security to test and develop tactics for the Active Denial System, a nonlethal military heat weapon, for potential use at the southern US border, according to CNN. The memo authorizes a seven-month loan of one ADS unit, though it does not specify where or how testing would occur. The device emits an invisible electromagnetic beam that causes a burning sensation on skin from over half a mile away.
cnn.com
· 2026-10-23
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo last month authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to test the military's Active Denial System and develop tactics for potential use at the southern US border, CNN reported. The nonlethal weapon emits an invisible electromagnetic beam reaching over half a mile that causes a burning sensation on skin, producing a tingling effect lasting 10-15 minutes that officials say creates an urge to flee.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-22
The Department of Homeland Security has directed U.S. federal civilian agencies to stop buying and to remove products and services built on Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI, citing national security risks from data that could be accessed by Chinese authorities. The ban extends beyond DeepSeek's own tools to third-party products built on its technology, though agencies may seek exceptions. China's Foreign Ministry criticized the move as politicizing trade and technology issues.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-20
The Department of Homeland Security has ordered all civilian federal agencies, including Treasury, State and Justice, to remove DeepSeek's AI models and any technology built using them. The order became effective at the end of July but was only publicly disclosed this week; Defense Department systems are exempt from the ban.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-10-19
U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ruled that Elon Musk, then heading DOGE, engaged in 'state sanctioned intimidation' when he posted on X accusing former FEMA CFO Mary Comans of 'criminal action' and funneling $58 million to migrant hotels in Manhattan. The Department of Homeland Security fired Comans and three colleagues the next day, calling them 'deep state activists.' The judge's order formally clears Comans' name.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-13
A partially unsealed federal court filing alleges DHS agents compiled dossiers—including photos and license plate numbers—on people observing ICE operations during Maine's 'Operation Catch of the Day,' storing this information in the Investigative Case Management database built by Palantir. The filing, part of a proposed class action by four observers, also alleges agents conducted drive-bys of observers' homes and flagged at least one woman for secondary border inspection through January 2027. DHS called the lawsuit 'meritless,' denying any database of 'domestic terrorists,' while Palantir did not respond to requests for comment.
wired.com
· 2026-10-02
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states may access the federal SAVE database to verify voters' citizenship, overturning lower court rulings that had blocked its use over accuracy concerns. The database, originally built by the Department of Homeland Security to assess immigration benefit eligibility, was repurposed under the Trump administration for voter screening, prompting a lawsuit from groups including the League of Women Voters and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
cyberscoop.com
· 2026-09-25
Rep. Delia Ramirez plans to introduce the Reimagining Safety Act, which would terminate the border surveillance tower program and dismantle the Department of Homeland Security, redistributing functions like CISA, FEMA, TSA and customs to other federal agencies. The bill, developed with groups Just Futures Law and Mijente, would replace DHS with a new Department of Community Safety, though the full text has not yet been released.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-23
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