House announces security evaluation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Leaders from both parties in the U.S. House of Representatives promised Friday an immediate and comprehensive evaluation of computer security.

The unusual bipartisan announcement followed revelations that a House ethics committee staff member inadvertently leaked confidential information on investigations, The Hill reported. The staffer, who has been dismissed, was working at home and mistakenly downloaded the information onto a public computer network.

The Washington Post obtained the information.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the evaluation of security policies would be done by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer's Security Department.

"We are working diligently to provide the highest level of data security for the House in order to ensure that the operations of House offices are secure from unauthorized access,"

Pelosi and Boehner said in a statement.

The staff member had permission to work on the document at home but was supposed to keep it secure.