FBI targeted with ‘suspicious’ activity on its networks

The FBI found evidence that its networks had been targeted in a suspected cybersecurity incident, the bureau confirmed on Thursday, without sharing any further details.

“The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks, and we have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond,” the agency said in a statement. “We have nothing additional to provide.”

CNN and CBS reported that the suspicious activity targeted a digital system the FBI uses to manage and conduct surveillance, including work related to foreign surveillance warrants, wiretaps and pen registers, which are used to trace phone and computer data like IP addresses and dialed phone numbers.

News broke in 2024 that the Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon had exploited the U.S. wiretapping system under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act that law enforcement and intelligence agencies rely upon, but CNN reported that it wasn’t clear if there was a connection between the 2024 and recent suspected incidents.

It also wasn’t clear when the incident occurred, or who was responsible.

The FBI, like virtually every federal agency, is no stranger to being targeted or infiltrated by hackers.

In 2023, the FBI said it had isolated and contained a cyber intrusion in its New York Field Office. In 2021, hackers exploited a misconfigured FBI server to send hoax emails, although the bureau said its own systems weren’t affected.

Congress, former agents and others have raised concerns about the FBI’s cyber capabilities among budget cuts and the loss of personnel under the second Trump administration. Brett Leatherman, leader of the bureau’s cyber division, told CyberScoop recently that it has suffered no diminishment of its ability to respond to threats and incidents.