Cyber-attack Hacks Thousands of Travelers’ Images at the Border

On May 31, the Customs and Border Protection agency was made aware that up to 100,000 images of travelers and license plates were hacked in a cyber attack. For security purposes, the agency collects and stores personal data of all travelers who cross the US border. Federal officials suggest this information would be most valuable to foreign governments interested in tracking individuals traveling to and from the U.S. Similarly, in 2014, the Chinese government digitally breached the personal data of 22 million federal employees. This most recent case adds to the growing number of cyber-based infiltration tactics initiated over the years. The equipment involved in the breach has been deactivated, and the investigation into the identity of the hackers is ongoing.