On Wednesday, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) introduced a resolution on the House floor calling for greater protection of congressional computer and information systems.
As part of that resolution, he said four computers in his office had been hacked, along with computers used by other Congress members and by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He identified the culprit as the People’s Republic of China.
Wolf said his foreign-policy and human-rights staff person’s computer was attacked first, then the computers of his chief of staff, his legislative director, and his judiciary staff person. Information about all the work he has done on behalf of political dissidents and human-rights activists around the world were stored on the computers. That kind of information, as well as everything else on his office computers — e-mails, memos, correspondence and district casework — became open to outside eyes, he said.
“I am aware that computers in the offices of several other members were similarly compromised, as well as a major committee of the House — the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Wolf told the speaker of the House. “It is logical to assume that critical and sensitive information about U.S. foreign policy and the work of Congress to help people who are suffering around the world was also open to view from these official computers.”
China’s U.S. Espionage
In subsequent meetings with House IT and FBI officials, it was revealed that the attacks came from within the People’s Republic of China. According to Wolf’s testimony, these cyberattacks probed his system’s defenses and viewed and copied information. Wolf suspects he was targeted because of his history of speaking out about China’s human-rights record.
“I have also learned that this threat exists not only here in the Capitol complex, but also when members travel overseas,” Wolf said. “I have been told that, particularly in countries…