The Library of Congress reported that hackers were able to access their communication systems and read email correspondence with congressional offices from January to September of this year. The breach was discovered in a private notification sent to some congressional offices obtained by NBC News. The Library of Congress, which provides research services to Congress, gave over 76,000 custom responses to inquiries last year. The Director of Communications at the Library of Congress stated that the software vulnerability that the hackers used has been addressed and the matter has been referred to law enforcement for further investigation.
The notice did not specify who was behind the hack, referring to them simply as “the adversary.” Countries with strong cyber espionage operations like the U.S., China, and Russia often target government networks and communications of other countries for intelligence gathering. In the past, Russia was accused of hacking into a software made by SolarWinds, allowing access to multiple U.S. agencies and private companies. China has also been accused of multiple cyber espionage operations, including hacking into American telecommunications companies to spy on presidential campaigns and the staff of Senator Chuck Schumer. Both the Russian and Chinese embassies have denied these allegations.
The breach at the Library of Congress highlights the ongoing threat of cyber attacks from foreign adversaries targeting government agencies and officials for intelligence gathering purposes. The incident underscores the need for continued vigilance and robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information.
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