Hackers have breached the systems of Leidos Holdings, a major contractor for the US government, and leaked stolen internal documents online, Bloomberg News reported. The leak is believed to be tied to a previously disclosed breach of a Diligent Corp system that Leidos used.
Virginia-based Leidos recently became aware of the breach and is currently investigating the issue, the report said, citing anonymous sources. The company used the Diligent system to host information from internal investigations, as indicated in a June 2023 filing in Massachusetts.
“This incident did not affect our network or any sensitive customer data,” the report said quoting the company.
Leidos serves prominent clients including the US Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), NASA, and various other US and foreign agencies, as well as commercial businesses. The leak has raised significant concerns given the sensitive nature of the information involved.
The report reviewed some of the leaked files posted on a cybercrime forum but could not verify their authenticity as details were redacted.
A spokesperson from Diligent stated that the leak appears to stem from a 2022 hack affecting its subsidiary Steele Compliance Solutions, acquired in 2021. The spokesperson noted that fewer than 15 customers, including Leidos, were using the compromised product at the time. “We promptly notified impacted customers, including Leidos, in November 2022, and took immediate corrective action to contain the incident,” the report said quoting the spokesperson.
The breach of Diligent in 2022 reportedly involved two separate incidents, which have now led to the exposure of sensitive documents from Leidos. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges and risks faced by major IT service providers in safeguarding critical information.
Leidos, formed in 2013 and known for acquiring Lockheed Martin’s information technology business, was the largest federal IT contractor in fiscal year 2022, securing $3.98 billion in contract obligations, according to the news agency.
Earlier this month, Leidos bagged a $476 million contract from NASA to provide cargo mission engineering and integration services for the space agency’s International Space Station (ISS) Program and Artemis campaign. Similarly, it was awarded a $738 million follow-on contract from the US Air Force to provide enterprise IT and telecommunications support, including cybersecurity, to Headquarters Air Force, Headquarters Space Force, Air Force District of Washington, and other Department of the Air Force activities and missions in the national capital region.
