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Cybersecurity

Missing Laptops Raise Cyber Risks From U.S. Capitol Mayhem

  • Pelosi’s office among those saying computer was stolen
  • Rioters roamed through offices with unsecured computers
Workers clean an office at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7.

Workers clean an office at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7.

Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg
Updated on

Federal authorities are assessing the cybersecurity risks created by rioters roaming freely through congressional offices during Wednesday’s rampage at the U.S. Capitol, including missing laptops and computers that were left unsecured.

While there is no indication that hacking into computer networks was a goal of the rioters, at least three computers were reported missing and the potential exists that the intruders gained access to sensitive systems when members of Congress and their staff hastily took cover, according to cybersecurity experts. As a result, the House and the Senate should devote resources to mitigating any potential vulnerabilities, they said.