Large DHS employee database exposed in online leak

A data set containing personal information for over 41,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was released online on Wednesday. The material includes names, work addresses and phone numbers for staff across several DHS components, notably Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

According to the published database, labeled “Icepick,” more than 21,000 of the listed individuals work for CBP, while nearly 6,600 are assigned to ICE. Additional records identify personnel from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The leak also reveals previously unknown operation names, the agents involved, and some of the technology used, such as tools supplied by Cellbrite and Palantir.

The information was accessed by a group calling itself the Department of Peace and was subsequently uploaded by journalist and cybersecurity researcher maia crimew in partnership with the website Distributed Denial of Secrets. In a statement, Emma Best, co‑founder of DDoSecrets, said the release was intended to replace “anonymity with accountability,” rather than serve as a comprehensive directory of DHS employees.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed awareness of a potential breach and said the agency is working to address the situation “swiftly and effectively.” The spokesperson added that the department takes security threats against its employees seriously and will provide updates as more information becomes available.