Reps. Comer, Lucas seek communications regarding DOE National Laboratories targeted by Russian hacking team

U.S. Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Frank Lucas (R-OK) recently forwarded correspondence to the Department of Energy (DOE) requesting documents and communications regarding three DOE National Laboratories targeted by a Russian hacking team last year.

Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Lucas, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, sent the letter to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm in relation to the events that occurred during the summer of 2022.

“According to recent reports, between August and September 2022, a Russian hacking team, known to support Russian government information operations, created false login pages for three DOE National Laboratories and sent emails to nuclear scientists to elicit their passwords,” the legislators wrote. “The targeted labs—Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)—work on scientific research critical to the United States’ national security and competitiveness.”

The lawmakers cited a March 2022 White House fact sheet warning of potential cyberattacks specifying evolving intelligence Russia may be exploring options for potential cyberattacks as a response to U.S. sanctions.

Within the letter, the lawmakers requested documents and information covering the time period July 1, 2022, to the present, including all documents and communications between DOE, BNL, ANL, LLNL, and any other impacted National Laboratory, any other department or federal agency, and any contractor or subcontractor supporting the DOE regarding the hacking attempt.