Our Reporter Emailed the F.B.I. Hackers. They Wrote Back.
Dustin Volz, a Times reporter who covers cybersecurity, wanted to help readers understand a huge breach of government data that could put workers and families at risk.
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Dustin Volz, a Times reporter who covers cybersecurity, wanted to help readers understand a huge breach of government data that could put workers and families at risk.
With Dustin Volz
Mike Abrams is the deputy editor for Trust, working to help readers better understand The Times and its journalistic values. Dustin Volz, who is based in Washington, writes about cybersecurity and intelligence.
Oct. 1, 2026
The recent hack of the F.B.I. was staggering. It potentially exposed information about tens of thousands of former and current employees, including home addresses, Social Security numbers, clandestine job assignments, family details and much more.
How did it happen? What were the ramifications? Were the hackers’ claims legitimate?
Dustin Volz, a New York Times reporter who covers the work of hackers and spies, set about finding answers. One idea: Email the group that had claimed responsibility. It worked.
Volz took some time from covering this ongoing story to discuss his email exchange and other elements of reporting on the breach. These are edited excerpts from our conversation.
Dustin, your job seems cool, maybe even a little dangerous. You report on how hackers and spies work to achieve geopolitical advantage. What does that involve?
I don’t view my job as really any different from what most of my colleagues do: I primarily spend my days talking to sources trying to learn something interesting. For me, that means people in and around spy agencies, cybersecurity researchers and, occasionally, nation-state or criminal hackers.
Walk us through this case briefly.
The hack was the handiwork of ShinyHunters, a notorious cybercriminal group that has extorted major companies for years. It was surprising they would target the F.B.I., which seemed to deviate from their normal business model. Once I saw them claim the hack, I began asking sources if this looked real and, if so, how bad it looked. The answer was universal: very bad.
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Originally published by nytimes.com. Syndicated material does not necessarily reflect the views of Glamour Canada.
