Cyber Incident Victim: Government of Brazil
Date:
Jun 2020
Location:
Brazil
Summary
A cybercrime organization linked to Anonymous Brazil leaked personal information of senior Brazilian government officials, including the president and his family, along with supporters and ministers, exposing details such as purported assets. The hackers infiltrated systems of federal universities, municipal governments, and multiple state-level institutions across several regions, compromising data of over 200,000 military personnel and government employees to intimidate targets. Federal police executed searches targeting suspects, including minors, and identified additional fraudulent activities during the investigation, which raised national security concerns due to the scale of compromised entities.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In early June 2020, a hacker group identifying as Anonymous Brazil executed a data breach targeting senior Brazilian government officials, including President Jair Bolsonaro, his sons, political supporters, and multiple ministers. The attackers publicly disclosed personal information—including details about purported assets owned by the individuals—via a Twitter account, which was subsequently suspended by the platform. President Bolsonaro denounced the leak on Twitter, characterizing it as an intimidation tactic by hacktivists. The breach represented a deliberate effort to expose and embarrass high-profile figures within the Brazilian administration, with the leaked data intended to undermine trust in the affected individuals and institutions.
The Brazilian federal police launched an investigation that led to significant operational developments by late June 2020. Authorities executed search warrants at the residences of suspects, including three teenagers located in Rio Grande do Sul and Ceará states. Investigators determined that the group had compromised systems across federal universities, city halls, city councils, and state government entities in Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Goiás, and Rio Grande do Sul. In Rio Grande do Sul alone, over 90 institutions were breached. The attackers exfiltrated sensitive data belonging to more than 200,000 military personnel and government officials, which investigators concluded was intended to intimidate and humiliate the victims. The federal police expressed concerns about national security implications given the scale of compromised military data and institutional targets. Evidence also emerged linking the group to additional criminal activities, including fraudulent online purchases. The investigation remained ongoing at the time of reporting, with no final determination on legal consequences or full attribution.