Capitol Hill has become the latest victim of a major cyber attack, with the personal information of over 3,000 congressional staffers exposed on the dark web. Internet security company Proton found over 1,800 passwords used by congressional staffers on the dark web. According to a report from The Washington Times, cybersecurity experts at Proton found that many of these breaches were likely due to staffers using their official government email addresses to sign up for various online services – including high-risk platforms like adult websites – which were later compromised in larger data breaches:
The firm said the data available in the hidden online hubs includes passwords, IP addresses and information from social media platforms.
The research showed one staffer alone had 31 passwords exposed online.
“The volume of exposed accounts among U.S. political staffers is alarming, and the potential consequences of compromised accounts could be severe,” said Eamonn Maguire, Proton head of account security, in a statement. “Vigilance and strict security measures are essential to safeguard personal and national security.”
Proton said it has reached out to all of the affected congressional staffers to alert them and the company said the exposed information were unrelated to Proton’s services that include products such as encrypted email accounts and password managers.
Proton, headquartered in Switzerland, partnered with U.S.-based Constella Intelligence to carry out the investigation. The findings show that nearly 1 in 5 congressional staffers have had their personal details exposed. Beyond adult websites, the leaked data reportedly came from multiple sources, such as social media, dating apps and other high-risk sites.
“This situation highlights a critical security lapse, where sensitive work-related emails became entangled with less secure, third-party platforms,” the Swiss technology company added.
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