A misconfigured data hub within the **DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)** exposed sensitive national security information to thousands of unauthorized users—including government workers, private-sector employees, and foreign nationals—over a **two-month period (March–May 2023)**. The breach stemmed from a **programming error**, allowing improper access to **439 I&A products**, which were accessed **1,525 times** without authorization. Among these, **518 accesses were from the private sector**, and **46 were by non-American citizens**, primarily targeting **cybersecurity intel** (39% of accessed data), including details on **foreign hacking campaigns, state-sponsored hacker groups, and domestic protest surveillance**. The exposed records included **surveillance data on American citizens**, law enforcement investigations, and **foreign disinformation operations**, raising concerns about the integrity of the **Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN)**, which DHS markets as a secure platform for critical national security sharing. While the memo confirmed some records were accessed, it **lacked an impact assessment** on affected agencies, leaving uncertainties about broader operational or intelligence compromises. The incident underscores systemic vulnerabilities in handling **classified intelligence**, with potential repercussions for **national security, diplomatic relations, and public trust** in government cybersecurity protocols.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/department-of-homeland-security-office-of-the-chief-financial-officer
"id": "dep1903119092325",
"linkid": "department-of-homeland-security-office-of-the-chief-financial-officer",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "5/2023",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "6",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the economy of geographical region"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'National Security / Law Enforcement',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)',
'type': 'Federal Government Agency'}],
'attack_vector': 'Misconfigured Platform (Programming Error)',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Unconfirmed (accessed but no evidence '
'of exfiltration in report)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '439 intelligence products '
'(accessed 1,525 times)',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Potential '
'(surveillance data '
'may include PII)',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (National Security Intelligence; '
'Sensitive/Classified)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Classified/Restricted '
'Intelligence Products',
'Surveillance Data',
'Cyber Threat Intelligence',
'Law Enforcement Investigations',
'Domestic Protest Analysis']},
'date_resolved': '2023-05-31',
'description': 'A misconfigured platform within the Department of Homeland '
'Security (DHS) exposed a data hub, allowing thousands of '
'unauthorized users—including government/private sector '
'workers and foreign nationals—to access sensitive national '
'security intelligence. The exposure lasted two months '
'(March–May 2023) and involved 439 inappropriately accessed '
'intelligence products (1,525 total unauthorized accesses), '
'with 518 from the private sector and 46 from non-American '
'citizens. Exposed data included surveillance records, foreign '
'hacking campaigns, law enforcement tips, and domestic protest '
'analyses. The breach stemmed from a programming error in the '
'DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) platform, '
"raising concerns about DHS's information security practices.",
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Significant reputational damage to '
"DHS's claims of secure information "
'handling; erosion of confidence in '
"HSIN's security",
'data_compromised': ['Surveillance records of American citizens',
'Foreign hacking/disinformation campaigns',
'Law enforcement tips',
'Domestic protest examinations',
'Cybersecurity intelligence (39% of accessed '
'products)'],
'operational_impact': 'Loss of trust among agencies sharing '
'information via the hub; potential '
'compromise of sensitive intelligence '
'operations',
'systems_affected': ['DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis '
'(I&A) Platform',
'Homeland Security Information Network '
'(HSIN)']},
'investigation_status': 'Internal investigation confirmed via FOIA-disclosed '
'memo; no public update on further actions.',
'lessons_learned': 'Critical gaps in access controls and platform '
'configuration within high-security government systems; '
'need for stricter auditing of user permissions and '
'real-time monitoring of sensitive data hubs.',
'motivation': ['Opportunistic Access',
'Espionage (Potential)',
'Information Gathering'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Programming error leading to '
'misconfigured access controls.',
'Inadequate segmentation of '
'sensitive intelligence products.',
'Lack of real-time monitoring for '
'unauthorized access patterns.']},
'recommendations': ['Implement zero-trust architecture for '
'intelligence-sharing platforms.',
'Conduct regular access reviews and privilege audits.',
'Enhance logging and anomaly detection for unauthorized '
'access attempts.',
'Public transparency reports for breaches impacting '
'national security data.'],
'references': [{'source': 'WIRED'},
{'source': 'Brennan Center for Justice (FOIA Obtained DHS '
'Memo)'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Limited (internal memo obtained via '
'FOIA; no public statement detailed)',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes (internal memo via '
'Brennan Center for Justice)',
'third_party_assistance': ['Brennan Center for Justice (via FOIA '
'disclosure)']},
'threat_actor': ['Unauthorized Government Workers',
'Private Sector Employees',
'Foreign Nationals'],
'title': 'DHS Data Hub Misconfiguration Exposes National Security Information',
'type': ['Data Exposure', 'Misconfiguration', 'Unauthorized Access'],
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Improper Access Controls / Platform '
'Misconfiguration'}