Cyber attackers have targeted the House of Representatives in an attempt to encrypt the contents of congressional computers via ransomware, reports The Intercept.
The Intercept obtained a copy of email sent to House staffers which said the House Information Security Office saw an increase of such attacks using third party, web-based mail applications to launch phishing attacks.
Officials did not indicate if any attacks had been successful, what type of data was potentially affected or if any ransom has been paid, according to the report, but a spokesperson told The Intercept the House faces threats of ransomware just like any large organization.
The House has locked down parts of its Internet network, including access to YahooMail and Google Cloud services, according to The Intercept.
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