US state capitols brace for cyberattacks

State Police walk in House Office building ahead of a protest outside of the Michigan State Capitol building in downtown Lansing on Sunday, Jan 17, 2021. — Detroit Free Press/TNS

When a pro-Trump mob stormed into the US Capitol on Jan 6, rioters didn’t just smash windows and break furniture. They also pilfered at least two laptops: one from the office of Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, another from a conference room used by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The next day, House administrative officials notified members’ offices that while there weren’t any indications the network had been compromised, they had taken several actions to secure and protect sensitive information, including locking computers and shutting down wired network access.