Publisher's Synopsis
Hackers stole 4.1 million Federal employees' personal records from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Days later, we learned the attack was actually far broader, involving some of the most sensitive data the Federal Government holds on its employees. It is hard to overstate the seriousness of this breach. It has put people's lives and the United States at risk. This massive theft of data may be the largest breach the Federal Government has seen to date, but it is not the first data breach affecting Federal agencies or even OPM. The U.S. is dependent on cyber infrastructure, and that makes our future vulnerable. But cyber threats against us are going to continue to grow in size and sophistication. The U.S. has a significant cybersecurity problem in the Federal Government. The intrusion in OPM networks is only the latest of many against the agency, and OPM has become a case study in the consequences of inadequate action and neglect. Cybersecurity on Federal agency networks has proven to be grossly inadequate. Foreign actors, cyber criminals, and hacktivists are accessing government networks with ease and impunity.
