THE FBI is investigating “suspicious activities” on an internal system that holds sensitive information related to surveillance operations and investigations. According to a notification sent to members of Congress, the unnamed culprit is using sophisticated techniques to exploit FBI network security controls. The investigation began on 17 February after abnormal log information was flagged on a system on the FBI network.
The notification, reviewed by The Associated Press, says the affected system is unclassified and contains law enforcement sensitive information, including returns from legal process such as pen register and trap and trace surveillance returns, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of FBI investigations. The FBI said it identified and addressed suspicious activities and leveraged all technical capabilities to respond, with no additional comment on who might be responsible.
The description notes that the techniques include leveraging a commercial internet service provider vendor’s infrastructure to exploit security controls.