Sen. Ron Wyden Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high Republican Senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal Hillicon Valley: TikTok, Oracle seek Trump's approval as clock winds down | Hackers arrested for allegedly defacing U.S. websites after death of Iranian general | 400K people register to vote on Snapchat MORE (D-Ore.) is pushing Senate Committee on Rules and Administration's leadership to require a "basic cybersecurity practice" to protect Senate email and digital networks.

"As you know, the cybersecurity and foreign intelligence threats directed at Congress are significant. However, the Senate is far behind when it comes to implementing basic cybersecurity practices like two-factor identification," he wrote in a letter to Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and ranking member Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharEPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates Biden marks anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, knocks Trump and McConnell MORE (D-Minn.).

Two-factor identification would require Senate staff to use a second credential to log in to systems, in addition to a password. Traditionally, the three factors that can be used to verify identity are split into three categories, "something you know" (like a password), "something you have" (like a key card or physical key) and "something you are" (like biometric face and fingerprint scanning).

ADVERTISEMENT

That type of security is required in the White House, where identification cards contain secure chips. Wyden compares the White House and Senate cards in his letter.

"[I]n contrast to the executive branch's widespread adoption of [Personal Identity Verification] cards with a smart chip, most Senate staff ID cards have a photo of a chip printed on them, rather than a real chip," he wrote.

Wyden notes that the Senate sergeant-at-arms requires two-factor identification to access systems off of the Senate campus. But, he notes, there is no requirement to use two-factor identification in the offices on the Hill.