FBI arrests suspected ShinyHunters co-conspirator over hack of bureau's jobs portal

The FBI has arrested an accused co-conspirator of ShinyHunters, the hacking group that said last month it had breached the bureau's jobs portal, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday. "Earlier this week, our agents in the field arrested another suspected co-conspirator" of the group, Patel said, according to CNN. The FBI did not give the person's identity or the location of the arrest, and it was not immediately clear what charges they might face. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]

Two sources told CNN the man was arrested in Pennsylvania and that officials believe he helped orchestrate the hack. A U.S. official and another source told CBS News the suspect was detained in Pennsylvania, and a law enforcement source said he is a Canadian citizen believed to be directly involved in the hack, adding that other suspected co-conspirators remain at large. The New York Times first reported the Pennsylvania arrest; Polygon wrote that sources speaking with the Times described the suspect as a "primary co-conspirator." [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]

"This is the latest arrest this FBI has made in a matter of days involving this network," Patel said in a statement cited by CBS News. He also said: "We will continue to work closely with our partners to disrupt what's left of the ShinyHunters group and their associates, no matter where they operate." Patel said the breach "occurred on a platform managed by a third-party vendor." [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]

Reports differ on the scale of the breach. The Seattle Times and ABC News said the group claimed data on nearly all employees, CNN said thousands of current and former employees, and Polygon said applicants were also affected. A New York Times analysis found home addresses, Social Security numbers and sensitive job assignments in the records. Sources told CNN that identities of personnel in sensitive units on China and Russia were exposed. The hackers said they stole 2 to 3 terabytes of data, and some veteran agents told CBS News it may be the worst breach of a federal government system since the 2015 Office of Personnel Management hack. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]

ShinyHunters said it acted over false allegations in a May FBI advisory that described it as a "cyber criminal group specializing in large-scale data breaches and extortion." CNN reported the group demanded the FBI amend the advisory, which many in the cybersecurity industry took as a tacit threat to leak the data; the hackers later said that was never their intention. Experts said the hack could expose agents and their families to extortion, swatting and other harassment. [ 3 , 4 , 8 ]

Dutch authorities earlier arrested one of the group's alleged leaders; CNN said the FBI announced this last week, while Polygon placed it last month. Polygon reported the group also targeted Rockstar in April, and that FBI cyber official Brett Leatherman has said ShinyHunters extorted over $70 million after breaching over 140 institutions since last year. [ 6 , 8 ]