Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Mar 11: A foreign hacker reportedly accessed files related to the investigation into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after breaching a server at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office three years ago, according to a source familiar with the matter and recently released United States Department of Justice documents.
The details of the intrusion, including the claim that a foreign hacker was involved, have been reported for the first time.
In a statement, the FBI described the breach as an “isolated cyber incident”, saying the agency had restricted the malicious actor’s access and secured the network. “The investigation remains ongoing, so we do not have further comments to provide at this time,” the bureau said.
The source said the intrusion appeared to have been carried out by a cybercriminal rather than a foreign government, but experts noted that the Epstein files could be of significant intelligence value.
“If foreign intelligence agencies are not thinking seriously about the Epstein files as a target, then I would be shocked,” said Jon Lindsay, who studies emerging technologies and global security at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The breach itself was earlier reported by CNN and Reuters on February 17, while the connection to Epstein-related material was later highlighted by the French magazine Marianne.
Epstein, who had long-standing links to prominent figures in politics, finance and business and was once associated with Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution-related charges including soliciting a minor. He was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 after being arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking minors, with authorities ruling his death a suicide.
According to the documents, the breach occurred on February 12, 2023, after a server at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab in the FBI’s New York Field Office was inadvertently left vulnerable by Special Agent Aaron Spivack.
The intrusion was discovered the following day when Spivack switched on his computer and found a text file warning that the network had been compromised. Subsequent checks revealed unusual activity on the server, including attempts to access files related to the Epstein investigation.
The documents do not specify which files were accessed, whether the hacker downloaded any material or the identity of the attacker.
Spivack, whose name appears in several documents related to the Epstein probe, did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters was also unable to reach his lawyer, Richard J Roberson Jr, while several FBI agents named in the documents also did not reply to messages.
In his statement to investigators, Spivack denied responsibility for the breach and said he was being made a “scapegoat”, blaming conflicting bureau policies and flawed information technology guidance for the vulnerability.
The source familiar with the case said the hacker appeared unaware that the system belonged to a law enforcement agency. The attacker reportedly expressed disgust at the presence of child abuse material on the device and left a message threatening to report the user to the FBI.
Officials later convinced the hacker that they were indeed from the FBI, including by showing their law enforcement credentials during a video call, the source said.
It remains unclear who carried out the intrusion, which country they were operating from or whether any action was taken to identify or prosecute them.
Many documents linked to the Epstein investigation released by the Justice Department have been heavily redacted, while others remain withheld despite legislation requiring their disclosure last year. The administration of President Donald Trump has said certain material is being withheld to protect victims’ identities and avoid compromising ongoing investigations.