ATF investigating ‘major’ cybersecurity incident
The breach affected a standalone system with investigative target records, while the ATF says its main network and eForms system were not impacted.
- On Wednesday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed a cybersecurity breach of an isolated system following claims from the Russian-linked ransomware syndicate Qilin. The agency stressed that the affected environment functions separately from its main enterprise network.
- Operating on a double-extortion ransomware model, the Russian-linked Qilin group has claimed roughly 1,900 victims over the past 18 months since first emerging in 2022. The syndicate uses affiliates to steal and encrypt data while threatening public release.
- Senior Justice Department officials classified the breach as a "major incident" under federal guidelines, triggering direct DOJ involvement. The bureau reported that investigative tools and operational files were accessed, but gun-owner information was not compromised.
- ATF spokesperson Tanya Roman stated the affected system was "quickly shut down when the breach was discovered," and an investigation remains ongoing. The agency stressed that its ability to perform its missions has not been impacted.
- The incident has drawn scrutiny from Second Amendment groups regarding the safety of at least 866 million digitized firearms records held by the ATF. This breach follows a pattern of recent cyber intrusions across federal law enforcement and government infrastructure.
29 Articles
29 Articles
ATF Admits Breach of System Holding Investigation Targets as Qilin Ransomware Claims Victory
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives moved quickly Wednesday to contain damage from a cybersecurity breach. The agency confirmed a standalone system had been compromised. That system held information on targets of ATF investigations. Hours earlier, the Qilin ransomware gang listed ATF on its dark-web leak site. The posting offered no samples. It gave no details on stolen data or volume. Yet the timing left little doubt about t…
US federal agency confirms data breach in wake of claims by ransomware group
By AJ Vicens Aug 27 (Reuters) – A ransomware group gained access to a computer system containing information about targets of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a spokesperson for the U.S. agency said after a hacking group publicized a claimed breach on Wednesday. Tanya Roman, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email that the standalone system was not connected to any other ATF systems, including …
ATF Announces Major Cybersecurity Incident
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said Wednesday that it is investigating a cybersecurity incident for which a ransomware group has claimed responsibility. Senior ATF officials have deemed the event a “major incident” under federal guidelines, although it stressed the hack did not impact the bureau’s ability to perform its operations, according to a statement published Wednesday. The hackers targeted what the ATF sai…
ATF responds to 'major' cybersecurity incident after ransomware gang's claims
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it’s responding to a “major” cybersecurity incident shortly after the Qilin ransomware gang posted the US federal law enforcement agency on its leak site. According to ATF's statement, the intrusion affected a standalone system that operated separately from its enterprise network. “There is no indication that the incident has affected the ATF enterprise network, the ATF eForms sy…
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