US Government Hit by Another Cyberattack: DHS Platform Breached
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a breach of its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), used for sharing intelligence among federal, state, and local agencies. Senator Mark Warner warns that the exposure of sensitive information could risk national security.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is probing a cyberattack on its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), a platform that allows federal, state, and local governments and law enforcement to share intelligence and coordinate responses to major events. According to reports from Nextgov and Bleeping Computer, hackers broke into HSIN servers in late May and early June, potentially exposing information shared on the platform.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed the department is “aware of a recent cyber incident involving a specific, unclassified legacy information sharing environment.” However, it remains unclear what data was stolen or how much was taken. DHS did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
National Security Concerns
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a statement warning that while the intelligence shared over HSIN is unclassified, it is “highly sensitive, and its exposure risks national security.” Warner noted that HSIN is currently supporting the World Cup games underway in the United States and was also used last year to manage the response to the mid-air collision of an American Airlines jetliner and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people.
Pattern of Security Lapses
The breach is the latest in a series of cybersecurity incidents affecting the federal government since the Trump administration took office in January 2025. Previous incidents include the sharing of classified information and war plans over unauthorized apps like Signal, the raiding of federal databases by members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and a public spill of passwords and credentials by a CISA contractor. Earlier this year, the FBI notified Congress of a “major cyber incident” after exposing phone numbers of surveillance targets, potentially giving adversaries an advantage.
The identity, affiliation, and motives of the hackers remain unknown.
