FBI probes intrusion via ISP into surveillance data system

The FBI is probing suspicious activity on an internal system that stores sensitive surveillance and investigation data, according to The Associated Press. The investigation into abnormal log activity began on 17 February 2026, and the system, while unclassified, holds law-enforcement sensitive information including surveillance records from legal tools such as pen register and trap-and-trace orders, as well as personally identifiable information linked to investigations.

The FBI has confirmed the incident and said it identified and addressed suspicious activity on its networks using all available technical capabilities. The bureau did not attribute the attack to any threat actors, but noted the attackers used “sophisticated” techniques, including exploiting a commercial ISP’s infrastructure, reflecting longstanding foreign targeting of U.S. federal agencies for espionage.

Early reporting by Politico later described a major cyberattack on the federal judiciary’s electronic filing system, though the FBI notification itself did not specify similarities to that incident.