(Reuters) -Computers at the FBI’s New York office were hacked in what the agency said was a now-contained isolated incident, CNN reported on Friday, citing people briefed on the matter.
“The FBI is aware of the incident and is working to gain additional information,” the bureau said in a statement to CNN, adding that its investigation of the malicious cyber activity is ongoing. “This is an isolated incident that has been contained.”
It was not immediately clear when the cyber incident occurred. One source told CNN the origin of the incident is still being investigated.
Representatives for the Federal Bureau of Investigations could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.
CNN, citing two sources briefed on the matter, said FBI officials believe the incident involved bureau computers used to investigate child sexual exploitation.
The FBI breach is the latest in a series of high profile U.S. government hacking incidents over the last decade. In late 2020, officials discovered a widespread cyber espionage operation within numerous federal networks by hackers tied to Russian intelligence.
In 2015, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced it too had been hacked and that federal employee records were stolen. The OPM breach was later attributed to Chinese hackers.
(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath and Anirduh Saligrama in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Alex Richardson and Chizu Nomiyama)
