A ransomware attack was discovered on the devices of the federal law enforcement agency, that specializes in tracking and apprehending fugitives. The USMS has confirmed breach of confidential data from its devices.
The Department of Justice that oversees the US Marshals Service has started investigating the matter and has deemed it a “Major Incident” in statement by Drew Wade, the spokesperson for the US Marshals Service to NBC News.
“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”
Drew Wade, US Marshals Service spokesperson
The attack affected a stand-alone device, that was not connected to the federal network. It has been confirmed in a statement to CNN, from a separate source, that the Witness Protection Program has not been affected by the attack. The NBC News also reported that the data pertaining to US Judges was not compromised in this breach.
The device has been isolated and a workaround has been applied, so that the work flow is unaffected by the breach.
The Department of Justice has started an investigation on the matter. A clarification has been asked for the reasoning behind naming it a ransomware attack here.