FBI arrested suspected ShinyHunters co-conspirator, Patel says

Investing.com -- The FBI has arrested an individual suspected of working with hackers who breached the agency's computer systems, FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday. The arrest comes as the bureau works to address a cybersecurity incident that exposed sensitive information about agency personnel.

Agents arrested "another suspected co-conspirator" of the criminal gang that claimed responsibility for the breach, Patel said on social media platform X. The FBI director did not identify the arrested individual or specify what charges were filed. FBI representatives did not immediately respond to questions about the arrest.

The hacking group ShinyHunters said in September that it accessed FBI employee information through the bureau's career website, FBIJobs.gov. The group claimed to have stolen records revealing home addresses of employees involved in investigating foreign spies, drug cartels and running covert surveillance operations.

FBI officials addressing the breach have informed staff that they are treating the incident as potentially exposing information about all bureau employees, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The hackers shared records with Bloomberg News that appeared to identify thousands of FBI officials.

"This is the latest arrest this FBI has made in a matter of days involving this network, as we work non-stop to dismantle the group, pursue new leads and evidence, and act quickly," Patel said in his social media post. "This arrest demonstrates the strength and reach of our efforts to protect Americans from cybercrime."

Brett Leatherman, the assistant director who oversees the FBI's cyber division, said earlier this week that "multiple arrests" had already been made as part of the bureau's effort to bring those responsible for the breach to justice.

The hackers gained access to an FBI system through a vulnerability on a platform managed by a third-party organization that failed to implement a security patch "explicitly issued to secure the platform," Leatherman said in a statement. The FBI has "removed" the contractor, who Leatherman did not identify.

Patel said Friday that the bureau "will continue to work closely with our partners to disrupt what's left of the ShinyHunters group and their associates, no matter where they operate."

Original Article

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