New York, United States. A foreign hacker compromised files relating to the FBI’s investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a break-in at the bureau’s New York Field Office three years ago, according to a source familiar with the matter and Justice Department documents reviewed by Reuters.
The details of who accessed a server at the FBI’s New York Field Office, including the allegation that a foreign hacker was involved, were reported for the first time.
FBI response and investigation status
In a statement, the FBI said what it described as a “cyber incident” was “an isolated one.”
“The FBI restricted access to the malicious actor and rectified the network. The investigation remains ongoing, so we do not have further comments to provide at this time.”
Intelligence value and wider scrutiny
Although the source said the intrusion appeared to have been carried out by a cybercriminal rather than a foreign government, one academic said the incident underscores the files’ potential intelligence value.
The legally mandated publication of U.S. Justice Department documents has exposed the dead financier’s ties to prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business, triggering investigations in numerous countries around the world.
“Who wouldn’t be going after the Epstein files if you’re the Russians or somebody interested in kompromat?” said Jon Lindsay, who researches the role of emerging technology in global security at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “If foreign intelligence agencies are not thinking seriously about the Epstein files as a target, then I would be shocked.”
Previous reporting and link to Epstein materials
The breach was reported contemporaneously by CNN and Reuters on February 17, and the connection to Epstein materials was made by the French magazine Marianne.
Background on Epstein
Epstein, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl.
He was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019, in what was ruled a suicide, after being arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.
How the breach was discovered
The hack occurred after a server at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab in the FBI’s New York Field Office was inadvertently left vulnerable by Special Agent Aaron Spivack, who was trying to navigate the bureau’s complex procedures for handling digital evidence, according to the source and the documents.
A timeline written by Spivack and included in the cache of Epstein documents released earlier this year said the break-in happened on February 12, 2023. It was discovered the following day when Spivack turned on his computer and found a text file warning him that his network had been compromised, according to that document.
What impact could the breach have on ongoing investigations connected to the Epstein case?