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A hacker using the handle USDoD claimed in December 2022 to have accessed InfraGard, an FBI-associated information-sharing portal, by posing as a financial-institution CEO. The Associated Press reported that a database said to cover more than 80,000 members was exposed, but the access story came from the alleged hacker; the reporting does not independently establish the full intrusion path or that the database was sold.
What is InfraGard?
InfraGard is an FBI-associated information-sharing program for people in government and private industry who work with critical infrastructure. Its membership spans fields including business, information technology, law enforcement, the military and government. The program shares national-security and cybersecurity threat information, according to the Associated Press.
What was claimed in the 2022 incident?
On December 14, 2022, the Associated Press reported that a hacker using the handle USDoD claimed to have gained access to InfraGard’s online portal after posing as the CEO of a financial institution to obtain membership. The hacker described InfraGard’s vetting as lax. These details were the alleged actor’s account, not a technically verified reconstruction of how access was obtained.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesAccording to AP, the actor posted sample data on a cybercrime forum and offered the full database for $50,000. That was an advertised asking price, not evidence that a sale took place. AP reported that the database covered more than 80,000 members; the actor said 47,000 records had unique email addresses. The first figure is a reported database size, not a verified count of people whose email addresses were exposed.
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What information was reportedly exposed?
AP described the data as names, affiliations and contact information. It said the dataset did not include Social Security numbers or dates of birth, although fields for those values existed in the database and were blank. The report does not establish that every member’s contact details were exposed.
What did the FBI say?
The FBI declined to comment to AP. AP also reported that KrebsOnSecurity had been told the bureau was aware of a potential false account and was looking into the matter. Those reports indicate awareness of a possible impersonation; they do not independently verify every detail of the hacker’s access narrative or the full scope of exposed records.
Was USDoD later arrested?
On October 18, 2024, KrebsOnSecurity reported that Brazilian authorities had reportedly arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of being USDoD. The article said Brazilian outlet TV Globo first reported the arrest and noted that the FBI declined comment. The report does not establish that the arrest was specifically for the InfraGard incident, or establish charges, conviction, extradition or the final outcome of the case: KrebsOnSecurity’s report.
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- The complete technical path by which the alleged actor accessed the portal.
- Whether the offered database was purchased or otherwise distributed in full.
- Whether every member’s contact information was exposed.
- The legal outcome of the reported arrest.
- InfraGard’s current operational status and present-day membership-verification procedures.
The 2022 story concerns InfraGard. It should not be conflated with a separate FBI.jobs.gov breach claim reported in 2026.
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