The Federal Bureau of Investigation addressed a cyber incident Thursday, saying that it had discovered “suspicious activities” on its networks.
“The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks, and we have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond. We have nothing additional to provide,” the bureau said in a statement, according to CBS News.
The targeted networks are known as the “digital collection system,” according to sources close to the matter.
“Documents obtained by a Freedom of Information Act [request] by the Electronic Frontier Foundation decades ago described the FBI’s ‘Digital Collection Systems Network’ as a suite of software that is used by the bureau to conduct a wide range of surveillance activities, from wiretaps to pen registers, which are surveillance tools that record phone numbers, IP addresses, signaling, and other information, in real time,” according to CBS.
CNN also reported on the suspicious activity and noted that the FBI is investigating the matter thoroughly.
It described the investigation as being related to a system used “to manage wiretapping and foreign intelligence surveillance warrants as part of investigations.”
“Officials are working to determine the seriousness of the incident,” the network said.
It pointed out that hackers are constantly trying to gain access to the agency’s data, but added it’s rare for such a breach to be publicly acknowledged.
“It’s not clear whether the latest ‘suspicious activity’ uncovered by the FBI is connected to the serious Salt Typhoon breach attributed to Chinese intelligence that affected a variety of U.S. government networks,” the outlet added.
“Suspected Chinese hackers are believed to have infiltrated private sector communications providers and targeted national security networks.”
This news comes just two days after the FBI and Department of Justice announced the dismantling of what it called “one of the world’s largest hacker forums.”
“The Department of Justice announced today the seizure of the LeakBase database, one of the world’s largest online forums for cybercriminals to buy and sell stolen data and cybercrime tools,” a Wednesday news release read.
The DOJ release cited a recently unsealed affidavit that said LeakBase had over 142,000 members and more than 215,000 messages
“Available on the open web and in English, the forum had an enormous and continuously updated archive of hacked databases including many from high profile attacks, including hundreds of millions of account credentials,” it explained.
“LeakBase allowed forum users to sell the information from stolen databases, including data illegally obtained from U.S. corporations and individuals, and offered credit and debit card numbers, banking account and routing information, usernames and associated passwords which could facilitate additional account takeovers, as well as other sensitive business and personally identifiable information.”
“Hiding behind a screen does not shield cybercriminals from accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the FBI Salt Lake City field office.
He added, “This international operation demonstrates the strength of our global alliances and our shared commitment to disrupting platforms that facilitate the theft of data and the victimization of innocent people and organizations worldwide.
“Together, we will continue to identify, dismantle, and hold accountable those who seek to profit from cybercrime, no matter where they operate.”
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