web3: American ATF claims that the system was attacked and classified as a major incident

According to the United States ATF, an independent system separate from its main network was subjected to cyberattacks, which were characterized as “significant events”. As required by the United States federal regulations, cyber-security incidents at this level are officially communicated to Congress within one week of detection.

We've got investigation information in the attack system.

In its statement, ATF stated that it was a system that operated independently and was not part of the Agency ' s main network. The ATF spokesperson indicated to the media that the information maintained in the system included information on the subject of the ATF survey.

At present, the ATF has not disclosed the exact time of the attack, the extent of its impact and whether data have been confirmed.

Qilin claims responsibility

TechCrunch stated that Qilin, a extortion software organization, had seen the identity information posted on its leak site. However, the organization did not provide sample data or other verifiable material and is not in a position to independently confirm its claim for the time being.

Qilin, one of the more active extortion software groups in recent years, uses the “extortion software as a service” model to provide tools to other attackers and share the proceeds of ransom. It was mentioned that the organization had previously included the media company Lee Enterprises and the British pathologist Synnovis on its leak list.

We need to inform Congress within a week.

Under United States federal law, “significant event” is usually defined as a major cybersecurity event that may cause evidence of damage to United States national security or the wider national interest. Once this determination has been made, the federal agencies must inform Congress within seven days of its discovery.

Many United States government agencies have made similar characterizations in recent years after the invasion. Reports mention that in 2023 a system of U.S. Marshals was attacked by extortion software; earlier this year, there was also a data exposure incident in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) system involving the number of a federal agent monitoring a target.