60 U.S. Congress Members Hit by Ransomware Attack
Congressional representatives locked out of their accounts for weeks.
At least 60 Congress members, both Democrats and Republicans, fell victim to a ransomware attack and have subsequently been locked out of their accounts for weeks.
The target was iConstituent, a tech vendor that provides constituent outreach services to dozens of House offices, including a newsletter service that allows lawmakers to communicate with residents in their districts and a service to track constituent casework.
It’s the latest cyber attack after a series of hacks against the US executive branch and American companies have left many institutions feeling vulnerable and the Biden administration struggling to deal with the situation.
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, which handles IT security for the House of Representatives, said there was ‘no impact’ on overall House data and it was working with the company to resolve the situation.
‘At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data. The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices’ data,’ the office said in a statement.
The reports do not specify the affected lawmakers by the cyber attack and the extent of the constituent data compromised.
This ransomware attack is the latest of highly publicized hackings that have occurred over the past few weeks. For example, the Colonial Pipeline’s response to its ransomware attack led to a week-long fuel crisis in East Cost. Likewise, the JBS Meat Packaging incident resulted in distribution glitches. Officials blamed Russian hackers for both events.
The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), which oversees IT security for the House of Representatives, asserts that there was “no impact” on the overall safety of House data.
“‘At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data. The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices’ data,” the CAO’s office said.
The hack of Congressional constituent data was first reported to Punchbowl News, a membership-based political news site. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, told the publication he “understands there is some frustration at the vendor in question here,” iConstituent. Several lawmakers have paid thousands to iConstituent for its services, according to the latest House disbursements statement.
Given the questionable truthfulness of other government “experts,” I am not consoled.
Reports do not indicate whether anyone has paid any ransom.
Vendors impacted by the ransomware attack include House offices that represent constituents in Hawaii, Nevada, California, and Georgia, among other clients.
Whether iConstituent has paid a ransom to the hackers involved in the attack was not revealed.
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Comments
Thoroughly predictable.
This is what happens when you pay off terrorists. You get more terrorism.
The drooling moron’s administration response to the pipeline hack was a JOKE. They did absolutely nothing to find them, the company paid them off, and then they told the laughably obvious lie that they had ‘recovered’ the payoff.
What a shock it’s suddenly open season on US interests.
Mr./Ms. Olinser, you are correct. It is predictable. If our government, from the pentagon to congressional offices, to the power grid, to pipelines can be hacked, then nothing is safe…anywhere. Google, facebook, twitter…where are your IT “geniuses” when it comes to protecting ANYTHING? Oh, wait, you are also anti-American, anti-Semetic, anti-capitalist. Screw big tech.
INSURRECTION!!!
That is how it goes when Congress gets attacked the same way as private citizens and businesses are correct?
No loss. Probably a gain, being they were shut down.
I’m sure Debbie Wasserman Shultz will put her crack team from Pakistan on it.
Any chance the hackers can release the congressional sexual abuse slush fund?
The funny thing is, the US has the capability to go after them. They just won’t.
This is how you lose a war.
First they hit the energy. Then they hit the food. Then the hit the lawmakers.
Watch the federal bill hopper carefully. Somebody wants to pass a crucial piece of tyranny.
Daily backups of new and changed files. Painless, simple.
I don’t think it’s that simple. I havent done any research but I have a feeling the backups are encrypted as well as the live data on the hard drives.
I use iDrive, which sweeps up anything new nightly; and keeps a bunch of old versions as well. Ransomware can’t get to it, at least through me.
Who backs their data up to the same drive it’s already stored on?
Hillary said it’s okay as long as you wipe with a cloth.
Backups should be stored on disconnected volumes.
I’m waiting for a “patient hacker” to spawn malware that does nothing for six months, ensuring it gets copied to every backup drive in rotation, then activates by date, such that restoring any backup volume will contain a copy of the same malware that will immediately activate.
Good times.
Henry, must you tell the script kiddies how to do it?
The issue is not that data was destroyed, but that the legitimate users have been locked out of the accounts. Effectively, the accounts have been taken over by the “hackers.”
And just as it was suspected in the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats ransom payoff, especially when the government claimed to have recovered part of the ransom, what proof do we have that it was not the same government that claimed to have recovered the ransom that demanded it?
Subotai Bahadur
Encrypt their bitcoin wallets.
We might be able to ransom back Hillary’s missing emails.
rhhardin, Now, That’s Funny!!
This happened weeks ago. Why was this story released today? While Biden is in Europe and to meet with Putin.
…a tech vendor that provides constituent outreach services to dozens of House offices, including a newsletter service that allows lawmakers to communicate with residents in their districts …
Um… Isn’t that a lot of words to say spammer? I mean I get enough of the paper variety, and I’m DARNED careful not to give my email address to politicians, so I don’t see much of that.
Stupid hackers, didn’t Debbie Watzername Schmultz already let the hackers have all the data?
Cyber attack on pipeline supplying gas and part of our nation’s critical infrastructure?
No big deal, pay them off.
Cyberattack on Congress’ outreach to voters?
We need action now! This is intolerable !
As much as I hate our ineffectual Congress critters in the face of Russian and Chinese cyber warfare – I’m not losing any sleep over this one.
Pakistan had already hacked all the Dems for years and they and the FBI just covered it up …
Your first four lines describe 1/6 as well.
Burn down whole blocks of flyover cities with the Democrats’ blessing, but don’t you dare break a window in “The People’s House!”
Maybe if we tell quid pro slo joe biden* the hackers are pre teen children he’ll mount an offensive to catch them so he can sniff them.
Freedom of speech is still free. Some of these “victims” could use some real time in the light of day, speaking with their victims/constituents.
Try to imagine Connecticut’s war hero, Richard Blumenthal, going “in country”, without a script, face to face with an American?
How about Rhode Island’s Sheldon “Shltbyrd” Whitehouse stepping off the tennis court and checking the mail box, without an aid, personal assistant and umbrella bearer?
Living a hidden, internet life deserves an intervention. Let the hijackers hackers have their way with the miscreants and shine some light on what they really are all about.
Democrats, laying the groundwork for their next power grab. This one may be a bridge too far, though. Mice will soon squeak.
Anyone looking toward Pakistan? The Awan Brothers had lots of “ins” to Congressional accounts. They had passwords and everything. Once in, they can get around almost anything. Thanks DWS and your enablers who allowed those sleazebags to not only leave the country with lots of vital information but American dollars as well.
The target was iConstituent
So, IOW, the House members’ accounts were NOT actually hacked, but a secondary service they use was.
Sort of like the pipeline wasn’t actually hacked, though the company’s intranet was.
Can we start actually using discernment on these sorts of claims and not do the standard ‘journalist’ thing of hair-on-fire-we’re-all-going-to-die?
The only thing hackers might get were mailing lists for fund raising.