US government alcohol and firearms agency ATF declares major incident after ransomware gang claims cyberattack

Date:
Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:10:00 +0000

Description:
Hackers break into a standalone system with information on targets of ATF investigations.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ransomware group Qilin lists Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) among new victims, claiming a major incident ATF confirmed breach of a standalone system holding investigation target data, not core networks Systems were disconnected, DOJ notified; Qilin is Russialinked, known for past Synnovis attack The US Government's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has suffered a major incident in which it appears to have lost sensitive information.

Notorious ransomware operators Qilin added a handful of new names to their data leak site: Northern Leasing Systems, Metal Conversions, California Truck Equipment, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and WireCo. The attackers did not say what kind of data they stole, or how much
of it they have. They have also not posted any samples of the stolen files, which is not that uncommon these days. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch
full video here: ATF investigations Shortly after appearing on Qilins data leak site, ATF confirmed the news via a press release published on the
agencys website. In the announcement, ATF said it was responding to an incident, affecting a standalone system.

The impacted system operates separately from the ATF enterprise network, and there is no indication that the incident has affected the ATF enterprise network, the ATF eForms system, or any other ATF system, the press release reads. While the press release does not mention the name of the targeted system, a spokesperson told The Register it contains information about
targets of ATF investigations. You may like Ransomware attacks hit SMBs
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The ATF usually investigates federal crimes such as illegal firearms trafficking, violent crime and gangs, explosives, arson and bombings, organized crime, illegal alcohol and tobacco trafficking, and firearms
dealers and manufacturers.

After spotting the attack, ATF disconnected the affected systems, engaged cybersecurity experts, and notified relevant authorities, including the Department of Justice. Senior Department officials have designated the event
a major incident under applicable federal guidelines, and required notifications have been completed, ATF added. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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Qilin is a relatively old, known ransomware threat actor. It is being tied to Russia and is best known for its attack on the pathology provider Synnovis, which happened back in 2024. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/us-government-alcohol-and-firearms-agen cy-atf-declares-major-incident-after-ransomware-gang-claims-cyberattack


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