Security firm will safeguard thousands of congressional smartphones from cyberattacks: House CISO

The House of Representatives has contracted a California-based cybersecurity firm to safeguard the mobile devices of members of Congress and staff from hackers, the House’s chief information security officer confirmed Wednesday.

Cellphones of lawmakers and staff alike will soon be protected under a new contract recently awarded to Lookout Mobile of San Francisco, John Ramsey, the House’s chief information security officer, told The Hill.

Lookout will install the firm’s proprietary security app on approximately 8,000 mobile devices used by congressional members and staffers, Mr. Ramsey said during an event last week on Capitol Hill alongside Rep. Ted Lieu, California Democrat, according to SIGNAL, the official publication of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, AFCEA.

“The new application, which identifies threats such as unsecured Wi Fi and malicious apps, is one of many ongoing initiatives that help the House protect its data, but it still requires vigilance,” Mr. Ramsey told The Hill on Wednesday.

“For years, Congress has been a locked building with an open window,” Mr. Lieu said in a statement. “Members and staff are hugely dependent on mobile devices to do our work, but those phones are not adequately protected. The CISO’s decision to extend cybersecurity protections to Congress’ mobile devices is an important step to better protect the sensitive work of Congress.”

Mr. Lieu has been one of Capitol Hill’s most vocal cybersecurity proponents as of late, and not without reason: he was the subject of a notable “60 Minutes” special last year in which he allowed security researchers to demonstrate how easily an attacker can compromise a congressperson’s cellphone.

“Once someone hacks into my unprotected cellphone, they become me, and they are in the House of Representatives email network,” Mr. Lieu said at last week’s event, AFCEA reported. “We spend a lot of time and money protecting our desktops and our servers from being hacked. But then this phone—no protection. Nothing. [Hackers] can do all sorts of things as me before I or others figure out it’s not me anymore.”

“Mobile security is that next level of cybersecurity posturing, and we know we need to improve upon that,” Mr. Ramsey added, noting that congressional lawmakers are “constantly targeted” by attackers.

Down Pennsylvania Avenue, meanwhile, President Trump recently started using an Apple iPhone for tweeting, his social media manager said Tuesday evening, albeit after weeks of provoking outrage for experts over his use of an comparably insecure Android device.