The FBI said it has identified a suspected cyber-attack on a network reportedly used to manage wiretaps and intelligence surveillance warrants, as officials try to determine the seriousness of the incident.
“The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks,” the agency said in a statement.
Intelligence network
“We have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond,” the statement added.
Reports said the incident is related to a computer system the FBI uses to manage wiretaps and foreign intelligence surveillance warrants used in investigations.
The recently discovered incident is being investigated by senior officials at the FBI and Justice Department focused on civil liberties and national security, said multiple reports citing unnamed people.
It is unclear whether the incident is related to the wide-ranging attacks on the governments of the US the UK and others by a group referred to by investigators as “Salt Typhoon” that is said to be backed by the Chinese state.
Cyber-espionage
In 2024, the group penetrated networks at multiple providers, including AT&T and Verizon, and potentially accessed information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorised network wiretapping requests.
The FBI’s cybersecurity capabilities have reportedly been diminished in recent months as FBI director Kash Patel pushes out senior officials overseeing IT operations and experts overseeing the FBI’s response to the Salt Typhoon hacks, CNN said, citing current and former officials.
The officials reported increased turnover in FBI ranks and wider upheaval at the agency in the past year as adding to challenges in thwarting cyber-attacks.
