Watchdog: OPM violated rules with contract to deal with data breach

A new government watchdog report says the Office of Personnel Management violated federal procedures when it awarded a $20 million contract to a company that is providing identity theft protection to millions of current and former federal workers who had their data stolen.

The report from the OPM’s inspector general found that the agency failed to abide by Federal Acquisition Regulation or OPM’s own policies and procedures in awarding the contract. “As a result, the wrong contracting vehicle was utilized … and millions of taxpayer dollars were put at risk for waste or loss,” the report stated.