Peer-to-Peer Networking Software

You would think that Congress' IT department has a way of ensuring that PtP software wouldn't work. Guess not.

The committee's review of investigations became available on file-sharing networks because of a junior staff member's use of the software while working from home, Lofgren and Bonner said in a statement issued Thursday night. The staffer was fired, a congressional aide said.

The committee "is taking all appropriate steps to deal with this issue," they said, noting that neither the committee nor the House's information systems were breached in any way.

"Peer-to-peer" technology has previously caused inadvertent breaches of sensitive financial, defense-related and personal data from government and commercial networks, and it is prohibited on House networks.

I am assuming the reason for having the files accessible from a PtP network was so they could be transferred from offices in the House, to this employees home. I guess they never heard of staying late at work, or (probably equally as forbidden, but easier to get away with, and somewhat safer) putting everything on a USB drive and taking it home that way.

Not surprised this person lost their job ... and they should have.