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US Congress Bans Members From Using Yahoo Mail (bbc.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the banning-technology-is-one-solution dept.

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.

4 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Not how they roll by sjbe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    That's not how Congress rolls. They refuse to take personal responsibility for everything and they have the authority to make someone else pay for their incompetence and/or corruption.

    To be frank however, I cannot see any sane reason why our elected officials are not using official government email accounts supported by official government IT workers. It's not like congress doesn't know where to find the money to do it. Why on Earth they would be using Yahoo accounts while on the job is a mystery without a responsible answer.

  2. Better question... by jratcliffe · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...is why non-government webmail is allowed on government computers? Should be blocked entirely. If it's a government computer, then it's for government business, and emails for government business should be sent on government accounts that are saved should they be needed for FOIA act requests down the line. If people want to use personal email, they should do it on personal devices.

    1. Re:Better question... by jratcliffe · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I have no problem with using gov't computers for limited personal business. That's perfectly reasonable. The employee needs to understand that business is now a matter of public record, however.

  3. Re:Yahoo mail doesn't clean up the shit by Danathar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The reason why Yahoo does not fix things is because the company is "dead man walking". They have been trying to get sold to SOMEBODY for years, but since Microsoft refused to buy them years back for a premium nobody seems to want to buy them.

    Spending the time, money and resources to fix an email problem is not a high priority for them considering the position the company is in...