Foreign hackers have reportedly gained access to the email system of the US Library of Congress, beginning at the end of the year, according to Fox News. Capitol Police have informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is currently investigating the breach.
Bill Ryan, a spokesperson for the Library of Congress, confirmed that the breach allowed the attackers to access electronic communications between library staff and congressional offices from January to September 2024.
“The library has addressed the vulnerability that attackers used to access these emails and has taken steps to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Ryan stated.
It remains unclear whether the hackers targeted the accounts of individuals working directly in the House of Representatives or the Senate. However, the Library of Congress clarified that the breach did not impact the networks of either house of Congress, nor did it affect the personal accounts of their staff members. The Library is investigating which specific messages the hackers were able to access during the attack.
Fox News reports that the attackers likely aimed to uncover what questions legislators and their aides had been asking the Library of Congress about pending legislation and the responses they received. The Library of Congress, located next to the US Capitol, is the largest library in the world and also houses the US Copyright Office, which was reportedly unaffected by the breach.
