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It's unlikely these people installed malware on computers, experts say, but the event proves legislators need better cybersecurity training.
To keep sensitive information safe, computers should have some sort of "pull-the-plug" protocol in place to make the data inaccessible.
On Wednesday afternoon, when a mob of people supporting President Donald Trump breached the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.—home to both bodies of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives—legislators quickly abandoned potentially confidential paperwork on their desks. Some even left their computer screens aglow.
That much is made evident in the images that have circulated since—including a now-deleted Twitter photo that showed a computer in Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office with email still pulled up on the screen. Those mistakes, while innocent, could have dire cybersecurity consequences, experts warn. The event should be a wake-up call for all companies to put emergency protocols into place.