Capitol Hill Tech Vendor Hit With Ransomware Attack

A tech vendor that services several dozen offices in the House of Representatives has become the latest ransomware attack victim, Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday.

The news network notes that almost 60 offices in the House, including members of both parties, have been unable to access information about their constituents from the vendor iConstituent for the past few weeks. 

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told CBS News that “just this morning, news broke that a constituent outreach services platform that nearly 60 offices in the United States Congress, the House of Representatives, uses was hit with a ransomware attack. As I’ve said before, no one is safe from these attacks including us.”

The company describes itself as a “Constituent Engagement Platform” that offers a “single platform where you can easily connect with constituents, collaborate on casework, and manage all internal and external communications.” They reportedly provide services to the U.S. House, the New York State Assembly, and other clients in Hawaii, Nevada, Los Angeles, and East Palo Alto, California.

iConstituent is now working with the House’s chief administrative officer, Catherine Szpindor, to get the issue under control.

“The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer was notified by iConstituent that their e-newsletter system was hit with a ransomware attack. iConstituent’s e-newsletter system is an external service available for House offices to purchase. At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data,” Szpindor’s office said in a statement to Punchbowl. “The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices’ data.”