Topline
Hundreds of House of Representatives members and employees were affected by a “significant” data breach into the Congress’ health insurance network this week, the House Office of the Chief Administrative Officer announced Wednesday, although it’s not yet clear how many members were affected, or how much information was taken.
A data breach hit hundreds of House members and employees Tuesday.
Key Facts
House staff members’ account information and personal identification information were stolen in the breach on Tuesday, Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor said in a statement.
Although hundreds of people, including House members and staff workers, were affected, Szpindor said it “does not appear” that members of the House or the House itself were “the specific target of the attack.”
The CAO has not yet determined the size of the breach.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have requested information from health insurance network D.C. Health Link on who was impacted and what data was taken.
Crucial Quote
McCarthy and Jeffries called the breach an “egregious” data theft that “has compromised the personal information of numerous House Members, spouses, dependents and employees in both parties,” in a letter Wednesday afternoon. “Right now, our top priority is protecting the safety and security of anyone in the Capitol Hill community affected by the cyber hack.”
Further Reading
T-Mobile Data Breach: Hackers Stole 37 Million Customers’ Info, Company Says (Forbes)
How To Respond To A Business Data Breach In Under 60 Minutes (Forbes)
The Human Toll: Examining The Impact Of Breaches On The Public (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/08/congressional-data-breach-house-members-account-and-personal-identification-stolen/