Over 3,000 congressional staffers’ personal information has been leaked across the dark web in a wide-scale cyberattack on the Capitol.
Switzerland-based security firm Proton discovered that 1,800 passwords used by Capitol staffers are available on the dark web.
In an investigation, Proton, along with the United States-based firm Constella Intelligence, revealed that 1 in 5 congressional staffers had personal information exposed on the dark web.
In the report, Proton shared that the leaks made their way to the dark web through several sources, such as adult websites, social media, and dating apps.
In a statement to The Washington Times, Proton stated, “Many of these leaks likely occurred because staffers used their official email addresses to sign up for various services, including high-risk sites such as dating and adult websites, which were later compromised in data breaches.”
Thousands of Capitol Hill staffers’ info spilled across dark web, security firm sayshttps://t.co/dgUmBRu4qU pic.twitter.com/4ykbMXZslm
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 24, 2024
Per Newsweek:
Personal information of more than 3,000 congressional staffers has been leaked across the dark web in a wide-ranging cyberattack on the Capitol, according to reports.
Internet security firm Proton found over 1,800 passwords used by staffers in Congress available on the dark web, through an investigation of exposed accounts among U.S. political staffers, according to The Washington Times.
Proton, which is based in Switzerland and worked with U.S.-based firm Constella Intelligence on the investigation, estimated that almost 1 in 5 congressional staffers had personal information available on the dark web. Proton said the leaks came from several sources, including social media, dating apps, and “adult websites.”
In one instance, the report found that a single staffer had 31 passwords exposed online. The full report said that around 3,191 staffers were affected by the leaks overall.
Thousands Of Capitol Hill Staffers’ Info Compromised After Using Gov’t Emails On Dating, Porn Sites https://t.co/5z5jvSHoCu
— IJR (@TheIJR) September 24, 2024