U.S. investigators are probing a cyber intrusion into an internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) computer network. According to the Wall Street Journal, the intrusion is believed to have been carried out by hackers affiliated with the Chinese government. The compromised network holds information related to some domestic surveillance orders.
The FBI initiated its investigation on February 17 after detecting abnormal log activity within the targeted system. A notification sent by the FBI to Congress this week, which was reviewed by Reuters, indicated that the hackers targeted an unclassified system containing communications data of individuals under FBI investigation. The scope and severity of the intrusion are currently unknown, as the investigation remains in its preliminary stages.
The FBI has described the techniques employed by the hackers as “sophisticated.” Remediation efforts and forensic investigations are actively underway. Multiple agencies are collaborating on the investigation, including the White House, National Security Agency (NSA), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
While the White House acknowledged regularly convening meetings to address cyber threats to the U.S., it declined to comment on the specifics of this particular incident. The FBI has also declined to comment, and the Chinese embassy in Washington has not yet responded to requests for comment. CISA referred inquiries back to the FBI. The NSA did not respond to a request for comment.
