US Marshals Service hit by second ransomware attack in two years

The US Marshals Service, a federal law enforcement agency, has fallen victim to another ransomware attack just a year after a previous incident exposed sensitive data and disrupted the agency’s operations.

The attack was confirmed after the cybercrime group Hunters International listed the agency on its dark web leak site, claiming to have exfiltrated over 386 gigabytes of data, including confidential and top-secret documents, FBI files, and sensitive case information.

While Hunters International’s website was temporarily offline at the time of reporting, cybersecurity firm Hackmanac shared details of the breach on X. The leaked data reportedly includes files related to gang activities, law enforcement operations, and electronic surveillance.

The Marshals Service has acknowledged the incident but maintains that no new data has been compromised. A spokesperson for the agency told Cyber Daily that the leaked materials do not appear to be from a recent breach.

However, if Hunters International’s claims are accurate, this would mark the second successful ransomware attack on the law enforcement agency in recent years. A similar incident in February 2023 led to the shutdown of one of the agency’s fugitive tracking platforms as it struggled to recover from the breach.

Hunters International, a relatively new ransomware-as-a-service operation, has been active since December 2023 and has claimed 18 victims in August alone. The group has been linked to 175 attacks since its inception.