Data Breach at DC Health Link Potentially Exposes Personal Information of Hundreds of Lawmakers and Staff

A data breach at the health insurance marketplace for Washington, D.C. on Tuesday potentially exposed the personal identifiable information (PII) of hundreds of lawmakers and staff.

In an internal memo sent to U.S. House staffers, House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine L. Szpindor informed recipients of the “significant data breach,” which potentially exposed the PII of thousands of employees, and warned them that their data may have been compromised.

According to the letter, the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI had alerted Szpindor to the data breach at DC Health Link, the Affordable Care Act online marketplace that administers health care plans for members of Congress and certain Capitol Hill staff. Szpindor said that the size and scope of the breach is currently unknown, but that the FBI had informed her that account information and PII of hundreds of members and House staff had been stolen.

The House Chief Administrative Officer has urged all affected individuals to take steps to protect their personal information, such as changing passwords and monitoring their financial accounts for suspicious activity. Szpindor also said that the House will be providing additional security measures to protect the data of its members and staff.

The FBI is currently investigating the data breach and has not yet released any further information. It is unclear at this time how the breach occurred or who was responsible.