State of Emergency, Government Agency Paralysed Instantly

The computer system of the United States government agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has been successfully breached by a hacking group. The incident has been categorised as a major attack, and coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been carried out.

The ATF stated that the affected system is a standalone system, meaning it is not connected to other systems such as case management, laboratories, or eForms used to manage form submissions from the public.

“The affected system has been shut down after the breach was discovered,” said ATF spokesperson Tanya Roman, as quoted by Reuters on Friday (28/8/2026).

However, the ATF has not yet identified who is behind the breach.

Meanwhile, the ransomware group believed to originate from Russia, Qilin, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The announcement, written in Russian, was posted on their website.

Reuters noted that there has been no official statement regarding the type or volume of data successfully stolen. Qilin also did not include any data samples in its claim.

The breach of the ATF is considered highly concerning because it risks leaking sensitive law enforcement data, including details of ongoing investigations.

The designation as a major incident means the hack could potentially endanger national security or civil liberties, while also triggering reporting obligations to the local Congress.