Washington (CNN) Amid the furor over the policy that resulted in thousands of families separated at the border, Department of Homeland Security employees have been warned about threats to their personal safety, according to a department-wide email obtained by CNN.

In the message from Claire M. Grady, the acting deputy secretary of homeland security, on Saturday afternoon, DHS employees were given information about the security resources available to them and were provided with tips for security, like not wearing their badges in public and being on guard for risks in public and online.

"In recent days, DHS has determined there may be a heightened threat against DHS employees in response to U.S. Government actions surrounding immigration," Grady wrote.

"This assessment is based on specific and credible threats that have been levied against certain DHS employees and a sharp increase in the overall number of general threats against DHS employees -- although the veracity of each threat varies. In addition, over the last few days, thousands of employees have had their personally identifiable information publically (sic) released on social media."

The message went to the entire DHS workforce of more than 200,000, a source familiar with the message told CNN. That includes individuals who work for DHS sub-components like US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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