Headline RoundupFebruary 28th, 2023

Ransomware Attack on US Marshals Service Compromises 'Sensitive Information'

Summary from the AllSides News Team

A ransomware attack on the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) impacted a computer system containing "law enforcement sensitive information," including data on fugitives and targets of investigations.

The Details: A USMS spokesperson said Monday the "affected system contains law enforcement sensitive information, including returns from legal process, administrative information, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of USMS investigations, third parties, and certain USMS employees." The service discovered the hack and data theft on Feb. 17, and "disconnected the affected system, and the Department of Justice initiated a forensic investigation."

For Context: The USMS is a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice that handles federal prisoners and pursues fugitives. Earlier in February, the FBI also said it had "contained" a "malicious cyber incident" on its network. In January, U.S. authorities said they seized the servers of the notorious "Hive" ransomware group.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum reported the news in a similar fashion, and highlighted reports that witness protection data wasn't compromised. Fox News highlighted other recent cybersecurity incidents at smaller organizations, including a hospital in Florida and a labor union in Boston.

Featured Coverage of this Story

More headline roundups

AllSides Picks

More News about Defense and Security from the Left, Center and Right

From the Left

From the Center

From the Right