Hackers who allegedly gained access to the D.C. police department's computer network briefly posted the personnel files of at least five current and former officers, a gambit one security expert believes was intended to show that the group's threats are legitimate.
On Monday, Babuk issued the first warning to D.C. police by uploading screenshots of files the group claimed to have stolen. The group claims to have 250 GB of data, which is enough to store 70,000 images or thousands of pages.
According to Brett Callow, an analyst for the New Zealand-based cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, which has been monitoring the hack, the documents posted on Wednesday ran into the hundreds of pages and included names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, financial and housing records, job histories and polygraph assessments.
In a statement, the hacking group Babuk warned police to "get in touch as soon as possible and pay us, otherwise, we will publish the data." Officials in Washington, D.C., have not commented about whether they are in contact with the group. One of the former officers identified in the leak was contacted by NBC News, who confirmed the information was accurate. The officer's identity was not revealed.
One of the records reviewed by The Washington Post is marked “background investigation document” and “confidential”. The 576-page file includes details of when an officer was going through a background check to be hired in 2017. It contains the officer's financial and banking details, as well as a photocopy of the officer's driver's license, social media posts, a private cell phone number, and answers to questions about past marijuana usage.
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