ATF classifies cyberattack as a significant incident
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has classified a cyberattack on one of its systems as a significant incident. This formally defined status requires official notification of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress.
A separate system was attacked
ATF said it is responding to a cyberattack on a standalone system separated from the bureau's network. An agency representative told reporters that the targeted computer system contained, among other things, information about targets of ATF investigations.
As TechCrunch reports, the Qilin ransomware group claimed responsibility for the breach on its leak site. At the same time, the group provided no evidence of this claim, including samples of allegedly stolen data.
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Qilin's statement
Qilin operates under the ransomware-as-a-service model: the group provides its tools to other criminal partners in exchange for a share of the profits. Qilin's leak site also listed the media company Lee Enterprises and the British pathology laboratory Synnovis.
Notification of Congress
Under U.S. federal law, significant incidents include substantial cyber incidents that are likely to cause tangible harm to national security or broader U.S. interests. Federal agencies must notify Congress of such a case within a week of its discovery.
Other U.S. federal agencies have previously reported significant incidents following cyberattacks. They include the U.S. Marshals Service after a ransomware attack in 2023 and the FBI after a breach of a system earlier this year that exposed the phone numbers of people monitored by federal agents.
