US Secret Service
US federal law-enforcement agency that investigates financial and cyber crime.
The US Secret Service joined five American, German and British agencies on 20 October 2026 in attributing at least 600 victims to SafePay ransomware activity.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is the Secret Service investigating ransomware?
Timeline for US Secret Service
Six agencies tie SafePay to old flaws
Cybersecurity: Threats and DefencesBackground
The US Secret Service is a federal law-enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Established in 1865, it has two core missions: protecting national leaders and major security events, and investigating crime that threatens the United States' financial infrastructure.
Its investigative remit began with counterfeiting and now includes fraud and cyber-enabled financial crime. The agency's Cyber Fraud Task Forces bring law enforcement together with private-sector and academic partners to investigate complex financial offences. Ransomware falls within that work when attackers demand or move illicit payments. The agency also contributes to joint technical advisories with domestic and foreign partners on cross-border cases.
Secret Service joins SafePay assessment
The US Secret Service joined five agencies from the United States, Germany and Britain in advisory AA26-293A on 20 October 2026. The agencies attributed at least 600 victims to SafePay ransomware activity and described five flaws used for entry, all dating from 2020 to 2024.
Each flaw had appeared on the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's exploited-vulnerability list for two to three years. Two affected Veeam backup servers, making the systems victims might need for recovery part of the attack path. The Secret Service's role reflects its mandate to investigate cyber-enabled financial crime, including ransomware payments.
What does the US Secret Service do?
Why does the Secret Service investigate ransomware?
What are Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Forces?
Why did the Secret Service sign the SafePay advisory?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.