[Infowarrior] - OPM: first 4, then 12, now 32 million affected

[Richard Forno]

(x-posted)

OPM hack may have affected 32 million government employees

By Priya Anand
Published: July 8, 2015 6:19 p.m. ET

 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/opm-hack-may-have-affected-32-million-government-employees-2015-07-08

The hacks at the Office of Personnel Management may have compromised the data of 32 million current, former and prospective federal employees, Politico reported Wednesday.

The figure, cited by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Wednesday, was included in OPM’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year and is nearly double the previously reported estimate of about 18 million. It also could include potential military enlistees.

OPM Director Katherine Archuleta declined to say how many people were affected by the breach, according to Politico, because she said she didn't have a “completely accurate” number yet.

The head of information security issues for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency, also testified on Capitol Hill today about cybersecurity challenges at federal agencies. The number of reported security incidents involving personally identifiable information at federal agencies has more than doubled from 2009 to 2014, reaching 27,624.

“The danger posed by the wide array of cyberthreats facing the nation is heightened by weaknesses in the federal government’s approach to protecting its systems and information,” Gregory Wilshusen’s testimony read. He also said that the GAO has found many federal agencies don't respond effectively to security incidents, or don’t use encryption to protect sensitive data in the first place.

--
It's better to burn out than fade away.