FBI says investigating breach of ‘very sensitive’ data by hackers

The FBI is investigating a data breach of its job application portal, fbijobs.gov, after the hacking group ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen sensitive information on thousands of employees. The hackers are reportedly holding the data hostage, demanding the retraction of a previous statement made by the bureau.
Why it matters
This breach poses a significant national security risk, as it potentially exposes the identities and assignments of officials working on sensitive investigations.
ShinyHunters hackers claim to have stolen data on thousands of FBI employees as the agency probes a portal breach.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info A tour bus drives past the FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, US on February 3, 2025 [File: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff , AP and Reuters Published On 23 Sep 2026 23 Sep 2026 The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation says it is investigating a breach of its jobs website by a hacking group that claims to have obtained sensitive data on thousands of employees.
“The FBI is aware of a cybercriminal enterprise group claiming a compromise of the fbijobs.gov portal and alleged impact to FBI employee personally identifiable information,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
Also covering this story
4 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Hacking group ShinyHunters claims it breached the FBI, stole agents’ and applicants’ data
'Almost all agents' data stolen? Hackers claim FBI job site breach, stole 2TB of data
FBI investigates apparent theft of its personnel data by hackers
ShinyHunters hackers say they breached FBI
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