The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has confirmed a cybersecurity breach following a suspected foreign cyberattack that may have exposed sensitive data. The agency responded swiftly, implementing additional security measures and monitoring to protect its systems. In a statement shared with BleepingComputer, CBO spokesperson Caitlin Emma confirmed the ‘security incident,’ stating that the agency acted quickly to contain it. ‘The Congressional Budget Office has identified the security incident, has taken immediate action to contain it, and has implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to further protect the agency’s systems going forward,’ Emma told BleepingComputer.
The Washington Post first reported the breach, stating that officials discovered the hack in recent days and are now concerned that emails and exchanges between congressional offices and the CBO’s analysts may have been exposed. While officials have reported telling lawmakers they believe the intrusion was detected early, some congressional offices have allegedly halted emails with the CBO out of security concerns. The incident is being investigated, and work for Congress continues. Like other government agencies and private sector entities, the CBO occasionally faces threats to its network and continually monitors to address those threats.
Although the breach is under investigation, it highlights the growing risks of cyber threats to government agencies, prompting calls for increased cybersecurity measures and protocols. The CBO’s response has been to enhance security protocols and ensure continued protection of sensitive data. As the situation unfolds, officials emphasize that the agency remains committed to its role in providing nonpartisan economic and budgetary analysis to Congress.