More than 3,000 U.S. congressional staffers, or nearly 20% of staffers for U.S. senators and representatives, had their data stolen and leaked on the dark web, with almost 300 of the individuals having their information exposed in over 10 incidents, reports Security Affairs.
Aside from IP addresses and social media details, more than 1,800 plaintext passwords belonging to staffers have also proliferated across the dark web, findings from a joint Proton and Constella Intelligence report showed. Such extensive exposure of private and sensitive data has been attributed by Proton to staffers' use of official emails for adult and dating websites, as well as other third-party services, which were later breached in cyberattacks. "The volume of exposed accounts among U.S. political staffers is alarming, and the potential consequences of compromised accounts could be severe. Vigilance and strict security measures are essential to safeguard personal and national security," said Proton Head of Account Security Eamonn Maguire.
