Key facts
- The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a cyberattack on its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) platform.
- HSIN is used to share sensitive but unclassified data with partners, including foreign law enforcement and local authorities.
- The breach is believed to have occurred between late May and early June.
- Senator Mark Warner stated that the exposure of sensitive information risks national security.
- The incident is the latest in a series of cybersecurity lapses affecting the federal government.
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a cyberattack on its Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) platform, a system used by federal, state, and local governments and law enforcement to share intelligence and coordinate responses to emergencies. News outlets, including GovExec, reported that hackers may have accessed HSIN servers between late May and early June. The extent of the data breach remains unclear, with a DHS spokesperson acknowledging awareness of a "recent cyber incident involving a specific, unclassified legacy information sharing environment." Senator Mark Warner has warned that the exposure of sensitive, though unclassified, information could pose a risk to national security. He noted that HSIN supports major events and was used to manage the response to a fatal mid-air collision last year. This breach adds to a series of cybersecurity lapses affecting the federal government.