\n<\/p>\n
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, says a cyberattack on one of its systems has been declared a \u201cmajor incident,\u201d a formal, legally defined classification that prompts a formal notification to lawmakers in Congress.<\/p>\n
ATF said in a statement<\/a> that it\u2019s responding to the cyberattack on a standalone system that\u2019s separate from the bureau\u2019s network. An ATF spokesperson told reporters<\/a> that the targeted computer system contained information such as the \u201ctargets of ATF investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n TechCrunch has seen a claim of responsibility by the Qilin ransomware gang on its leak site, but it did not provide evidence for its claim, such as a sample of leaked data. Qilin is known for running a \u201cransomware-as-a-service\u201d operation, in which it leases its hacking tools<\/a> to other criminal affiliates for a cut of the profits. The gang has listed media giant Lee Enterprises<\/a> and U.K. pathology lab giant Synnovis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under federal law, \u201cmajor incidents\u201d include<\/a> significant cyber incidents that are likely to cause demonstrable harm to U.S. national security or broader U.S. interests. Agencies are required to disclose<\/a> major incidents to Congress within a week of their discovery.<\/p>\n The ATF joins several government agencies in recent years that have declared major incidents following a breach, including a 2023 ransomware attack on a system used by the U.S. Marshals Service<\/a>, and a breach of an FBI system earlier this year that exposed phone numbers of targets under surveillance<\/a> by federal agents.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n