The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Canadian man suspected of helping carry out a cyberattack that exposed sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of FBI employees, according to people familiar with the case.
The suspect is believed to have played a key role in the intrusion linked to the hacking group ShinyHunters, which reportedly stole extensive employee data last month.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on Friday that an arrest had been made as authorities work to dismantle the international cybercrime network.
The stolen information reportedly included home addresses, Social Security numbers, confidential job assignments and details about employees’ family members, according to an analysis of records shared by the hackers.
The breach placed the FBI in an unusual position, forcing the agency to investigate a cyberattack while also dealing with its own employees being targeted.
Cybersecurity researchers describe ShinyHunters as a loosely organised group of young, English-speaking hackers operating across multiple countries. The group has been linked to major corporate data breaches and has frequently demanded money to prevent stolen information from being released publicly.
The FBI has pledged to pursue those responsible for the breach as investigations into the incident continue.
