Slashdot Mirror
US Congress Bans Members From Using Yahoo Mail (bbc.co.uk)
A week after we learned that the House of Represantives had banned its members from using Google's appshot.com, more details about the blockage have surfaced. Reader Big Hairy Ian writes: A series of ransomware attacks on the House of Representatives has led U.S. Congress to ban members from using Yahoo Mail, according to a leaked email. Both Yahoo Mail and Gmail are named in the 30 April email, published on Thursday by Gizmodo, saying the attacks had increased "in the past 48 hours". Yahoo Mail will be blocked "until further notice" it adds. Ransomware encrypts victims' files and demands a ransom be paid for unlocking. In this particular instance, I think it isn't all of Yahoo Mail's fault. People need to be wary of the links they click on.
If the government computers are on an unrestricted, non-classified network, government workers are not that much different than regular office workers. Some personal usage is permitted as long as it doesn't interfere with work.
The wording on your last sentence is slightly wrong enough to ensure that pedants will come out and tell you you're flat out wrong without acknowledging that the principle was right. Hillary and Powell used private email systems. Clinton, however, owned her own server while Powell didn't (so technically Powell didn't "have" his "own" private email server.)
But certainly neither used a government supplied email system, which is the point you were trying to make.
Rice, I believe, didn't actually use email to conduct official business.
Information on Powell here. Warning, Politico link. Doesn't tell us which email service Powell used, so until proven otherwise we have to assume Hotmail, because hilarious.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.