IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1263 

Directing the Chief Administrative Officer and the Sergeant at Arms of 

the House of Representatives to take timely action to ensure that all 

Members, committees, and offices of the House are alerted of the dangers 

of electronic attacks on the computers and information systems used 

in carrying out their official duties and are fully briefed on how to 

protect themselves, their official records, and their communications from 

electronic security breaches. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2008 

Mr. WOLF submitted the following resolution; 

JUNE 11, 2008 

By motion of the House, referred to the Committee on the House 

Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Directing the Chief Administrative Officer and the Sergeant 

at Arms of the House of Representatives to take timely 

action to ensure that all Members, committees, and offices of the House are alerted of the dangers of electronic 

attacks on the computers and information systems used 

in carrying out their official duties and are fully briefed 

on how to protect themselves, their official records, and 

their communications from electronic security breaches. 

Whereas beginning in August 2006, several of the computers 

used by Congressman Frank R. Wolf, a Representative 


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•HRES 1263 IH 

from the Commonwealth of Virginia, in carrying out his 

official and representational duties were compromised by 

an outside source; 

Whereas the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 

Representatives, acting through House Information Resources (HIR), alerted Congressman Wolf to this incident 

and cleaned and returned the compromised computers to 

the Congressman’s office; 

Whereas since this attack, it has been discovered that computers in the offices of other Members, as well as in the 

office of at least one committee of the House, have been 

similarly compromised; 

Whereas in subsequent meetings with HIR and officials from 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the outside source 

responsible for these incidents was revealed to be located 

in the People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas according to HIR, when Members use Blackberry 

devices or cell phones while traveling overseas, especially 

in nations in which access to information is tightly controlled by the government, they are at risk of having 

their conversations or other personal information recorded or collected without authorization; 

Whereas HIR, the FBI, and the House Security Office 

briefed the affected offices on the security breaches that 

have occurred, and have done a good job in attempting 

to protect other offices of the House from similar threats; 

and 

Whereas it is nevertheless not clear that all Members, committees, and other offices of the House are aware of the 

existing threats against the security and confidentiality of 

the electronic records of their offices or their overseas 


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•HRES 1263 IH 

electronic communications, nor is it clear that Members 

and other House personnel have been fully briefed on 

how to protect themselves, their official records, and their 

communications from electronic security breaches: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Chief Administrative Officer and 

2 the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, 

3 in consultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau 

4 of Investigation, should take timely action to ensure that 

5 all Members, committees, and offices of the House are 

6 alerted of the dangers of electronic attacks on the com7 puters and information systems used in carrying out their 

8 official duties and are fully briefed on how to protect 

9 themselves, their official records, and their communica10 tions from electronic security breaches. 

Æ 


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