WASHINGTON – The FBI is examining a suspected cyberattack on its recruitment website after a criminal hacking group alleged that it obtained highly sensitive information involving nearly all bureau agents and people who have applied for jobs.
“The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating,” the bureau said. FBIjobs.gov, the agency’s primary online gateway for prospective employees and applicants, was still unavailable Wednesday morning.
The hacking collective ShinyHunters claimed responsibility in a message shared online.
Addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and the assistant director overseeing the bureau’s cyber division, the message alleged that ShinyHunters had accessed “very sensitive data on almost ALL FBI Agents and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job.”
The allegations have not been independently confirmed. An FBI spokesperson offered no additional details, and an email sent to an address linked to ShinyHunters did not receive an immediate response.
ShinyHunters said it was giving the FBI seven days to retract or remove what the group called false statements in a May public service announcement. In that notice, the bureau identified ShinyHunters as a “cyber criminal group specializing in large-scale data breaches and extortion.”
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The FBI’s warning described ShinyHunters as “threat actors” who regularly use genuine or inflated claims of access to personal and sensitive data to pressure victims into paying. The agency also said the group may intimidate or harass victims and sometimes falsely claim to possess compromising material, including embarrassing photos or videos that do not actually exist.
In its message, ShinyHunters said it took offense at the FBI’s description and demanded that the bureau remove the statements.
The FBI has repeatedly attracted the attention of hackers.
The bureau said in March that it was investigating “suspicious activities” involving an internal system containing sensitive information tied to surveillance programs and criminal investigations. That same month, a pro-Iranian hacking group claimed it had breached an account belonging to Patel and released what appeared to be old photographs, a résumé and other personal documents dating back more than 10 years.
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