Hacker 'compromised Jeffrey Epstein files on FBI server' - The Times

A hacker compromised files relating to the FBI’s investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a break-in three years ago.

The hack reportedly occurred after a server at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab in the FBI’s New York field office was inadvertently left vulnerable, according to sources and documents published by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) as part of the Epstein files.

The break-in happened on February 12, 2023 and was discovered the following day. Further investigation turned up traces of unusual activity on the server, a document said, adding that the activity “included combing through certain files pertaining to the Epstein investigation”.

In a statement the FBI said the “cyber incident” was an “isolated one”, adding: “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.”

The documents do not say which specific files were accessed, whether the hacker downloaded the data, or who the hacker was, although they were said to be foreign, according to Reuters, which first reported the story.

However, sources told the news agency that the intrusion appeared to have been carried out by a cybercriminal rather than a foreign government.

Jon Lindsay, who researches the role of emerging technology in global security at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said: “Who wouldn’t be going after the Epstein files if you’re the Russians or somebody interested in kompromat? If foreign intelligence agencies are not thinking seriously about the Epstein files as a target, then I would be shocked.”