It did not appear that lawmakers were the specific target of the breach, Szpindor said. Chairman Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) have asked DC Health Link for more information, he added.
The senators and their staff were also affected by the breach, but no data beyond their names and those of their family appeared to have been exposed, the Associated Press reported.
The FBI told McCarthy and Jeffries that law enforcement officials discovered they were able to buy sensitive personal information from DC Health Link on the dark web, according to a letter sent by House leaders to the market, “including names of the spouses, dependent children, their social security”. numbers and addresses.
“We have launched a thorough investigation and are working with forensic investigators and law enforcement,” DC Health Link said in an email. “At the same time, we are taking steps to ensure the security and privacy of our users’ personal information.”
A broker on an online crime forum claimed to have records on 170,000 DC Health Link customers and was offering to sell the data, AP reported. He was unable to verify the broker’s claim.
