The U.S. EPA suffered a significant data breach affecting over 8.5 million users, with personal and sensitive information exposed.

The breach, attributed to a hacker known as USDoD, included the leak of the entire EPA database, such as contact lists and staff information.

Leaked data has circulated within Russian hacker and cybercrime forums, increasing the risk of identity theft, phishing scams, and targeted marketing.

The EPA incident is part of a broader pattern of cyber attacks against the United States in the first quarter of 2024, targeting various sectors including federal contractors and critical infrastructure.