Government security ATF investigating cybersecurity incident designated a major incident August 28, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Adobe Stock) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating a cybersecurity event affecting one of its systems, which Justice Department officials have designated a “major incident” under federal guidelines. The disclosure came after the ransomware group Qilin listed ATF on its dark-web leak site and claimed to have compromised the agency, as reported by Nextgov. The ATF has not attributed the incident to Qilin or confirmed if ransomware was involved. The affected system operates separately from the bureau's main computer network, and officials stated there is no indication it spread to other ATF systems, including the electronic firearms application platform known as eForms. The "major incident" designation, likely under FISMA, signifies potential significant harm and triggers reporting requirements to Congress. Qilin, a ransomware-as-a-service operation, typically steals data before demanding ransom. This incident follows other recent breaches of sensitive federal law enforcement systems, including those at the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. Source: Nextgov SC Staff Related Critical Infrastructure Security Five Washington developments every CISO should be watching SC Staff August 28, 2026 Federal cybersecurity policy shifts are reshaping AI, contracting, CISA and quantum priorities. Critical Infrastructure Security US denies access to China-linked group behind hacking federal agencies Steve Zurier August 27, 2026 DOJ and FBI seized China-linked cyber platforms used to target U.S. agencies and infrastructure. Government security Cellebrite launches portable field kit for military data extraction SC Staff August 26, 2026 The Cellebrite Tactical Extraction Kit, or C-TEK, is a backpack-sized kit containing ruggedized hardware and Cellebrite software, including Inseyets and Digital Collector, to access and analyze data from phones, SIM cards, computers, and drones. Related Events Webcast Public sector security: Achieving resilience in the AI age Tue Sep 8 Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe You can skip this ad in 5 seconds