The US Marshals Service Gets Hacked

The US Marshals Service (USAMS)is an agency within the Department of Justice is responsible for pursuing fugitives and handling federal prisons in the US has been hit by a ransomware attack.  The federal agency, best known for its work in tracking down and capturing fugitives wanted by law enforcement  has notified the US government of the breach.

According to the sources, the USMS suffered a major ransomware attack two weeks ago that has compromised some of its most sensitive information, including law enforcement materials, the personal information of employees and the potential targets of federal investigations.

The US Department of Justice is investigating the breach and this cyber-attack is considered a "major incident" by officials and has hit a particular system within the service and the attack was discovered on 17th February "Shortly after that discovery, the USMS disconnected the affected system, and the Department of Justice initiated a forensic investigation," a spokesman told reporters.

The hackers were able to obtain administrative data, like personal information of certain employees, and about wanted fugitives, as well as information on unidentified third parties. The affected system also contained sensitive law enforcement information, including about ongoing legal procedures.

Officials at the Department of Justice, which oversees the USMS, deemed the cyber breach a "major incident" on Feb. 22, following a briefing by the Marshals Service. Under US policy, major incidents are considered to be "significant cyber incidents" deemed likely to result in demonstrable harm to US national security, foreign relations or the economy, or to the public confidence, civil liberties, or the public health and safety of the American people. 
Federal agencies are required to report "major incidents" to Congress within seven days of identification.

The Marshalls Department's recovery efforts are continuing, alongside a forensic investigation. "We are working swiftly and effectively to mitigate any potential risks as a result of the incident," the spokesman said. 

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