2021 FBI email hack

On November 13, 2021, a hacker named Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, going by his alias "Pompompurin", compromised the FBI's external email system, sending thousands of messages warning of a cyberattack by cybersecurity CEO Vinny Troia who was falsely suggested to have been identified as part of The Dark Overlord hacking group by the United States Department of Homeland Security.[1][2][3]

The emails were sent to addresses taken from the American Registry for Internet Numbers database and it was reported that the hacker used the FBI's public-facing email system which made the emails appear legitimate. The campaign was likely done in an attempt to defame Troia. Fitzpatrick later claimed responsibility for the hack.[4]

  1. ^ "FBI email system compromised by hackers who sent fake cyberattack alert". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  2. ^ Speakman, Kimberlee. "FBI Email Server Hacked, Thousands Of Spam Emails Said To Be Sent Out". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. ^ "Hackers compromise FBI email system, send thousands of messages". Reuters. 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  4. ^ Roth, Emma (2021-11-14). "The FBI's email system was hacked to send out fake cybersecurity warnings". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-01-26.