According to a study, the personal data of three-quarters of members of the House of Representatives has been exposed online.
The study, conducted by data removal service Incogni, found that 75% of House members have personal data publicly available on people search sites (PSS), meaning their home addresses, phone numbers and even the contact details of their relatives are freely available.
Who is most at risk?
While every US state has a representative whose data was exposed on PSS, certain demographic groups within Congress are more likely to have had their data exposed.
According to Incogni’s research, the members of Congress most at risk of having their data leaked are Republican men. Nearly 80% of Republican representatives have been found on public safety sites, exposing their personal information. Republican women are less at risk, with 62% having had their data leaked. Among Democratic men, 74% have had their data leaked on public safety sites.
These representatives are therefore particularly exposed to cybersecurity risks and real-world threats. This can also harm their reputation, as members of government are expected to be more attentive to their security and privacy, especially given the nature of their work.
Representatives from Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah were 75 percent or more likely to have their data leaked on PSS, while representatives from Connecticut, New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Washington, Arizona, and South Carolina were the least likely to have their data leaked. Less than 60 percent of representatives from these states had their personal information on such sites.
To learn more about the research, read Incogni Blog Post.
What are people search sites?
People search sites are specialized data brokers that collect, store, and sell personal information. People are often unaware that their data is available on PSS, which is particularly troubling given that people search sites collect and sell data such as land records, home addresses, and phone numbers.
The data collected and sold by PSS can be dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands, whether through harassment or targeted cyberattacks like phishing campaigns. That’s why it’s concerning that so much data from members of the U.S. Congress is available on these sites, especially after the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and violent threats against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Darius Belejevas, data privacy expert and director of Incogni, said of the study: “The security of US lawmakers has rarely been more precarious, so it was frightening to discover how much of their personal data is easily accessible.
“This is a massive error that exposes members of the House to security risks and must be addressed urgently.
“This problem isn’t just about high-profile politicians. Millions of Americans can be found on people search sites and their data can be exploited by fraudsters and identity thieves or sold to unknown entities for purposes they haven’t consented to.”
This isn’t the first time governments have been accused of poor cybersecurity and data hygiene practices. In fact, in May this year, a study by the creators of one of the best VPN services, Proton, revealed that nearly 80% of sitting UK MPs at the time had their personal data was leaked onlineIt is clear that governments around the world need to exercise greater caution.