The Department of Homeland Security sought to take leaked personnel data offline
The Department of Homeland Security asked an Icelandic hosting company to take leaked personnel data offline, citing a risk to more than 40,000 people. Reuters reported the request was made through an authorized agent; TechCrunch and BigGo Finance identified the agent as security vendor ZeroFox. Bluesky is blocking links to sites hosting the archive.
More context
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday sought to take leaked personnel data offline, citing a doxxing threat to more than 40,000 people, Reuters reported. Reuters said DHS asked an Icelandic hosting company to remove the data through an authorized agent; TechCrunch and BigGo reported that ZeroFox served in that role and could seek online removals for DHS through 2028. TechCrunch said it reviewed a notice to a domain registrar asking it to stop serving personal contact and location data published without consent. The archive, published Wednesday, contains records on more than 41,000 DHS employees and contractors, including names, work emails, phone numbers and internal group memberships, BigGo reported. Bluesky is blocking links to the archive sites and labeling them malicious. CentralNic and ZeroFox did not respond to comment requests, BigGo said.
Was this story useful?
What was the main problem? (optional)
Reporting
- The Guardian — DHS cites risk to more than 40,000 personnel in effort to take leaked data offline
- BigGo Finance — Bluesky Blocks DDoSecrets Links as DHS Leak of 41,000 Employees Spreads — BigGo Finance
- TechCrunch — Bluesky blocks links to leaked DHS employee data as government seeks takedowns
- whbl.com (with Reuters) — DHS cites ‘doxxing’ threat to more than 40,000 people in effort to get leaked personnel data taken offline
Verifier’s note
The Guardian and WHBL’s Reuters report describe DHS asking an Icelandic hosting company to restrict access to the leaked data. TechCrunch independently reports DHS’s takedown notice, while BigGo Finance repeats related takedown details; the other results focus on the leak itself.