Nebraska Capitol Wi-Fi Shut Down Since Wednesday Morning for Security Breach

LINCOLN –(KFOR Feb. 6) – The Nebraska State Capitol’s public wireless internet has been turned off temporarily after a “critical security breach.”

On the floor of the Legislature Thursday morning, Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers, chairman of the Legislature’s Executive Board, said Wi-Fi was shut down to protect the state’s network and the private information held by state lawmakers and other state officials. Hilgers says state officials don’t know who caused the breach and were still investigating.

Hilgers says the Internet service will return as soon as it’s safe. His comments came after several lawmakers complained that they had lost access to the public internet they use to conduct personal business while on the legislative floor.

KFOR NEWS reached out to the Office of the Chief Information Officer, which referred us to the Clerk of the Legislature, which referred us to the Legislature’s Network Department. Benjamin Barnett in the Legislature’s IT Department told KFOR NEWS the entire State Capitol Building has been without Internet service since late Wednesday morning. He told us “there is no idea when service would be restored.”