What do politics and cyber security have in common? They can be a pain to deal with, but ignoring them will have disastrous consequences.

Well, the House of Representatives should make sure to not ignore their cyber security, as ransomware attacks have been on the upswing, and have been targeting representatives through third-party mail applications.

TechCrunch reports there’s been an increase in ransomware attacks, sent through email apps such as YahooMail and Gmail. Additionally, representatives have been warned about phishing attacks, and advised caution when opening links or attachments from emails.

In response to the concerns, YahooMail access has been blocked on House networks, among other apps. Several apps hosted by Google’s App Engine are also blocked, including several that Congressional staffers use to communicate and receive alerts.

A spokesperson for the House Chief Administrative Officer has not confirmed whether or not there were any successful ransomware attacks. Should any attacks be successful, it’s also unknown if there’s a policy in place for ransomware, but the FBI does advise against paying the demands, so it’s likely that the House has a similar policy in place.

When ransomware strikes, it steals and encrypts any and all data it can get its hands on, and, as the name suggests, holds it for ransom. As it deletes any copies or backups whenever possible, recovering from a ransomware attack can be particularly tricky.

Ed Cabrera, VP of Cyber Security Strategy at Trend Micro, advises a “3, 2, 1” rule for backups: three copies, in two different formats, with one held offsite. He describes it as a more resilient way to store backup files, while having offsite copies protects both the backups and infrastructure.

“You have to assume that they are thinking in these terms, because it’s a cyber chess match; they’re thinking two or three steps ahead, so you have to think three or four steps ahead.”

So the House of Representatives is trying to stay ahead of the oncoming attacks, blocking off any apps that could potentially pose a threat, while warning staffers to stay alert. Should a representative fall victim to a ransomware attack, it could steal and ransom vital information, such as draft bills, employee information, or even classified documents.

And while we can all feel frustrated with our elected representatives, one would think it’s a much better idea to vote them out during the next election rather than commit a cyber crime.

Photo by Exothermic