FBI investigating hacking group’s claim of massive breach of agent info, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/fbi-investigating-hacking-groups-claim-massive-breach-agent-info-rcna599370)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating claims made by a well-known cybercrime syndicate, ShinyHunters, alleging a major breach of internal FBI systems containing sensitive personal records of agents, personnel, and applicants.

• The Stolen Information: The hacking group claimed to have exfiltrated extensive databases containing personal information of thousands of FBI employees, special agents, their families, and people who submitted applications to work for the bureau.

• Targeted Systems: The hackers reportedly claimed they gained unauthorized access through human resources and applicant platformsincluding an Oracle PeopleSoft server and an Amazon-hosted government cloud infrastructure. Following the public disclosure, components such as the FBI’s online recruitment portals (including the Special Agent Applicant Portal) experienced outages or were taken offline.

• Claimed Motive: Unlike typical cybercrime attacks driven by extortion or ransom demands, the group claimed the intrusion was not financially motivated. Instead, they claimed it was carried out in retaliation against the FBI to “set the record straight” after a government advisory and public statements described the group’s tactics as involving swatting, harassment, and social engineering.

• Bureau Response & Verification: Independent researchers and journalists cross-referenced samples released by the group with public records, finding matches with real personnel. The FBI initiated an active investigation into the scope, validity, and origin of the breach to evaluate whether internal systems were directly compromised or if the data originated from third-party vendor integrations.