The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank based in Washington, DC, revealed on Friday that it had fallen victim to a cyberattack earlier in the week. The attack, which occurred amid ongoing efforts to mitigate its effects, left the organization grappling with uncertainties regarding potential data breaches.
Although the exact extent of the breach remained unclear, the foundation took proactive measures by temporarily shutting down its network to prevent further infiltration while launching an investigation into the incident.
Initial reports of the cyberattack surfaced through Politico, citing a Heritage official who speculated that the perpetrators behind the attack could be nation-state hackers. However, no concrete evidence was provided to substantiate this claim. Despite inquiries, Heritage spokesperson Noah Weinrich refrained from offering comments, both on Thursday via email and when approached by TechCrunch on Friday.
Founded in 1973, the Heritage Foundation has emerged as a significant force in conservative advocacy and policymaking, exerting considerable influence within Republican circles. Yet, its prominence also renders it a prime target for cyber threats, with think tanks often serving as lucrative targets for cyber espionage due to their close ties to government entities and policymaking processes.
This incident marks another instance in which Heritage has faced cyber adversity, reminiscent of a 2015 attack that resulted in the unauthorized access and theft of internal emails and sensitive donor information.