U.S. Marshals Service suffered a major security breach, leaking sensitive law enforcement information

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) announced that it is investigating a major security breach that resulted in the leak of sensitive information, including law enforcement sensitive information and personal identification information of USMS investigative subjects.

The USMS, which is a component of the US Department of Justice, is responsible for protecting the federal courts and ensuring the proper functioning of the judicial system, providing support to almost all components of the federal justice system. Its main responsibilities include enforcing federal law, ensuring the security of federal court facilities and the safety of judges and other court personnel, transporting prisoners, apprehending fugitives, protecting witnesses, and seizing assets.

In a statement released on Monday, USMS spokesperson Drew Wade confirmed the security breach. According to Wade, the incident occurred on February 17th, when USMS discovered a ransomware attack and data leak affecting USMS systems. The affected systems contained law enforcement sensitive information, legal process-related information, and personal identification information related to USMS investigative subjects, third parties, and certain employees.

The infected systems have now been disconnected from the USMS network, and the agency has launched an investigation into the “major incident.” A senior official revealed that the data breach did not involve the database of the USMS’s witness security file information system, and no one in the witness protection program is in danger due to improper behavior.

It is worth noting that the USMS has previously experienced another major data breach. In 2020, the agency leaked detailed information on over 387,000 inmates, including their names, dates of birth, home addresses, and social security numbers.

Via: bleepingcomputer