Source: EVA HAMBACH / Staff / Getty
According to The Associated Press U.S. government employees with sensitive jobs in national security or law enforcement were among hundreds of federal workers found to be using government networks to access and pay membership fees to the cheating website Ashley Madison. The list includes at least two assistant U.S. attorneys, an information technology administrator in the White House’s support staff, a Justice Department investigator, a division chief, and a government hacker and counterterrorism employee at the Homeland Security Department.
Other members of the site visited from networks operated by the Pentagon. Federal policies vary by agency as to whether employees could visit websites like Ashley Madison during work hours.
This information raises questions about what personal business and websites are acceptable to visit for U.S. workers on taxpayer time, especially those with sensitive jobs who could be put in positions of blackmail.
This week hackers released detailed records on millions of people registered with the website. A few of those members connecting from federal networks had listed government email accounts when subscribing.
They include over two dozen agencies, such as the departments of State, Justice, Energy, Treasury and Transportation. Others came from House or Senate computer networks.
Records also show subscribers signed up using state and municipal government networks nationwide, including those run by the New York Police Department. The NYPD’s top spokesman, Stephen Davis said “If anything comes to our attention indicating improper use of an NYPD computer, we will look into it and take appropriate action.”
Some Justice Department employees even went as far as to use prepaid credit cards to help hide their identity but still connected to the cheating site from their office computers. On Thursday Defense Secretary Ash Carter confirmed that the Pentagon was looking into the list of people who used military email addresses.
Adultery can be a criminal offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As mentioned before rules can vary by agency, Homeland Security rules, for example, say devices should be used for only for official purposes.
However it says “limited personal use is authorized as long as this use does not interfere with official duties or cause degradation of network services.” The hackers behind the break-in had accused the website’s owners of deceit and incompetence, and said the company refused to close the site as demanded.
For more information click here
Text “LIGHT” To 37890 for your chance at ticket giveaways and news before anyone else!…Standard Messaging Rates Apply
