Library of Congress Confirms Cyber Breach Involving Email Communications

The Library of Congress has informed lawmakers about a significant cyber breach affecting its information technology system. This incident involved unauthorized access to email exchanges between certain congressional offices and library personnel, as revealed in an internal communication.

According to the library, the intrusion occurred within the timeframe of January to September of this year. The breach has been escalated to law enforcement for further investigation; however, specific details regarding the attacker, including their identity, have not yet been disclosed.

In response to the incident, the Library of Congress has addressed the vulnerability that allowed the attacker to breach its systems and has implemented measures to enhance security and prevent similar events in the future. This information was communicated in their notification to lawmakers.

The breach was initially reported by NBC News. The Library of Congress, situated directly across from the U.S. Capitol, claims to be the largest library globally, boasting vast collections that include millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.

Beyond being a significant repository of information, the Library also serves as the primary research facility for Congress and houses the U.S. Copyright Office. In their notification, the Library clarified that while email communications between congressional offices and some library staff had been compromised, the individual IT networks of the House and Senate, including their email accounts, were not affected.

The library further assured that the systems involving the U.S. Copyright Office remained secure amid the breach. At present, the library is working diligently to assess which email communications were accessed and plans to reach out to specific congressional offices and staff members with pertinent details.