incident · 1433376000000

OPM Data Breach

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) suffered a massive data breach affecting 22.1 million people.

What happened

Hackers breached OPM systems, stealing PII and background investigation data for over 22 million current and former federal employees.

Technical mechanism

The attackers used compromised credentials and malware to gain persistent access to OPM databases.

Why it matters

One of the most significant breaches of U.S. government data, exposing sensitive background investigation records.

Impact

Exposure of highly sensitive background investigation records, including fingerprints and social security numbers, leading to significant national security concerns.

Response

OPM offered identity theft protection services to affected individuals and implemented enhanced security measures.

Defensive lessons

  • Implement strong multi-factor authentication
  • Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit
  • Improve network segmentation and monitoring

Evidence register

  1. U.S. House of Representatives — The OPM Data Breach: How the Government Jeopardized Our National Security for More than a Generation (verified)