Office of Personnel Management (OPM) & Interior Department Data Breach

This is potentially huge.  I will keep updating links as needed.


OnGuardOnline.gov


OPM data breach – what should you do?


A data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – and you’re a current or former federal employee whose personal information may have been exposed. What should you do? Take a deep breath. Here are the steps to take. 


Fox News:


US believes China behind cybersecurity breach affecting at least 4M federal employees


Hackers based in China are believed to be behind a massive data breach that could have compromised the personal data of at least 4 million current and former federal employees, U.S. officials said late Thursday.


Help Net Security:


Personal info of 4 million US government workers compromised in OPM breach


Approximately 4 million US federal employees, both current and former, will start receiving a breach notification alerting them that their personal information has potentially been compromised.

The reason for the notification is the discovery of a breach the US Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) network. The OPM is an independent agency of the US federal government, which recruits and retains government employees, keeps records of their work, conducts background investigations for prospective employees and security clearances across government, and so on.


CNN:


U.S. government hacked; feds think China is the culprit

Four million current and former federal employees, from nearly every government agency, might have had their personal information stolen by Chinese hackers, U.S. investigators said.

U.S. officials believe this could be the biggest breach ever of the government's computer networks. China called the allegation irresponsible.

NewsMax:

China's Hack of Millions Tied to Healthcare Record Thefts



The disclosure by U.S. officials that Chinese hackers stole records of as many as 4 million government workers is now being linked to the thefts of personal information from healthcare companies.

 

Forensic evidence indicates that the group of hackers responsible for the U.S. government breach announced Thursday likely carried out attacks on health-insurance providers Anthem Inc. and Premera Blue Cross that were reported earlier this year, said John Hultquist of iSight Partners Inc., a cyber intelligence company that works with federal investigators.


NewsMax:


Security Expert: No Stopping Hackers From Stealing Data

A security expert tells Newsmax there's no stopping hackers who want to steal personal data because of "pinholes" in security systems.

During an interview with Ed Berliner on Newsmax TV's "The Hard Line," Charles D. Morgan — the CEO of PrivacyStar and author of "Matters of Life and Data" — talks about cyber security in the wake of the massive data breach reported Thursday.


Dark Reading:


Breach Exposes 4 Million Federal Employees' Personal Info


Attackers hit U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Department of the Interior.

The personal information of 4 million U.S. federal employees were compromised in a breach affecting the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Department of the Interior, according to a statement issued this evening by the Department of Homeland Security. The breach might affect every government agency.

Dark Reading:

OPM Breach Shows Government Cybersecurity Remains Work In Progress

Intrusion continues spate of breaches at federal organizations over past few months.

The massive data breach disclosed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Thursday shows that federal government efforts at shoring up its cybersecurity remain a work in progress.