Sensitive Intel Exposed: DHS Data Hub Accessible to Thousands
As reported by WIRED, a data hub for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was exposed, allowing “thousands” of users to access national security information. Due to a misconfigured platform, sensitive intel — including data on the surveillance of the American people — was exposed to unauthorized workers in the government and private sector as well as foreign nationals.
WIRED obtained an internal DHS memo via the Brennan Center for Justice, which was accessible through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This memo reveals that the exposure lasted for two months, from March to May 2023, and was connected to a DHS platform utilized by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). The data breach occurred due to a programming error. It confirmed that some exposed records were accessed; however, “the report included no assessment of impact on the many other agencies that trust the hub to share their information.”
“DHS advertises HSIN as secure and says the information it holds is sensitive, critical national security information,” says attorney for the Brennan Center for Justice Spencer Reynolds. “But this incident raises questions about how seriously they take information security. Thousands and thousands of users gained access to information they were never supposed to have.”
Leaked information includes reports on foreign hacking/disconfirmation campaigns, law enforcement tips and examinations of domestic protests.
439 I&A products on the platform were inappropriately accessed 1,525 times. Out of those unauthorized accesses, 518 were found to be from the private sector. 46 were from non-American citizens.
In the case of foreign user unauthorized access, these instances were predominantly focused on cybersecurity intel. 39% of the accessed products included cybersecurity in some capacity, such as foreign attacks on government IT systems or state-sponsored hacker groups.
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