Politicians' data on the darknet Parliamentarian logs on to adult site with Federal Palace email
An alarming look behind the digital scenes of the Swiss parliament. Data from over 40 members of the National Council and Council of States has surfaced on the Darknet, including over 70 passwords.
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- Over 40 Swiss parliamentarians have been affected by a data leak on the darknet, in which passwords and personal information were exposed.
- The investigation shows that public officials used their official parliamentary email addresses for private services such as social media, cloud storage and even dating or pornography sites.
- This digital negligence poses a significant security risk, as compromised politicians can become targets for blackmail or espionage.
Over 40 Swiss parliamentarians have had their personal data exposed on the Darknet - including over 70 passwords. An investigation by Swiss technology company Proton reveals alarming gaps in the digital hygiene of elected representatives that could potentially jeopardize state security. The analysis shows that members of the National Council and the Council of States carelessly used their official email addresses on private platforms. And with some juicy details.
According to the investigation, the politicians logged into services such as LinkedIn, Dropbox and Adobe with their official parliamentary emails. One parliamentarian also used his official email address for a pornography website and two others for dating portals.
Fatal passwords and private leaks
The carelessness also manifests itself in the choice of passwords. Nine politicians used easy-to-guess combinations, while six others used the same password for several services. But not only passwords are affected. Other personal data such as telephone numbers, home addresses, dates of birth and IP addresses have also appeared on the darknet - all linked to official parliamentary emails.
The consequences of such carelessness extend far beyond the private sphere. If private information about public officials becomes public, it can become a gateway for hackers, blackmailers or spies. The more that is known about politicians - about their hobbies, interests, preferences - the easier it is for attackers to compromise or exploit them through phishing attacks.
The general population is not much more cautious
According to the password manager Nordpass, the general population in Switzerland is not much more disciplined in dealing with cyber risks, with the most popular password being "123456". But while private individuals primarily put their own privacy at risk, careless parliamentarians pose a considerable security risk to the state. Elected officials can be expected to strictly separate professional and private online activities, use strong and unique passwords and use two-factor authentication wherever possible.
Nevertheless, politicians are not responsible for the original hacker attacks on private online services. But the days when password managers were considered niche products are over. The leaked data comes from hacks over the last three years. Political responsibility does not end at the edge of the screen.
