A hacktivist group calling itself “Department of Peace” has claimed responsibility for breaching the Department of Homeland Security and leaking what it says are internal contract documents online.
On Sunday, the nonprofit transparency collective Distributed Denial of Secrets, known as DDoSecrets, published data related to contracts between DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and more than 6,000 companies.
Scope Of The Alleged Leak
According to the release, the data originates from DHS’s Office of Industry Partnership, which works with private-sector companies to procure technology and services.
The published documents reference defense contractors including Anduril, L3Harris Technologies and Raytheon Technologies, as well as surveillance provider Palantir Technologies and technology firms Microsoft and Oracle.
Security researcher Micah Lee organized the data on a dedicated website, making it searchable by contractor name, award amount and contact details. The records reportedly include full names, email addresses and phone numbers associated with the contracts.
DHS and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the alleged breach.
Motives Cited By Hackers
In a statement accompanying the leak, Department of Peace said its actions were politically motivated. The group referenced the deaths of two protesters earlier this year in Minneapolis, identified as Alex Pretti and Renée Good, alleging they were killed by federal agents.
“Why hack the DHS? I can think of a couple Pretti Good reasons! I’m releasing this because the DHS is killing us and people deserve to know which companies support them and what they’re working on,” the group wrote.
Context Around Federal Enforcement
Since the start of the Trump administration, DHS and ICE have carried out a campaign of mass deportations. Critics have accused federal authorities of detaining individuals with limited or no criminal records and holding them in overcrowded facilities under harsh conditions.
Technology firms have played a role in supporting immigration enforcement operations, with Palantir frequently cited in public reporting as a major contractor providing data analytics tools.
Largest Contracts Highlighted
Among the largest contracts listed in the leaked data were $70 million awarded to Cyber Apex Solutions, which describes itself as focusing on securing U.S. critical infrastructure, and $59 million to Science Applications International Corporation, which provides artificial intelligence services to government agencies.
Underwriters Laboratories was reportedly awarded $29 million for testing, certification and market intelligence services.
The authenticity and full scope of the leaked data have not been independently verified.
Featured image credits: Needpix
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.