Hackers stole personnel data and Social Security numbers for every federal employee last year.
A letter obtained by the Associated Press from the American Federal of Government Employees to Office of Personnel and Management director Katherine Archuleta reveals the hackers also stole military records and veterans’ status information, address, birth date, job and pay history, health insurance, life insurance, pension information, gender and race data.
The December hack, discovered in April and announced in late May, is believed to have been carried out by Chinese-affiliated hackers. U.S. officials have declined to publicly blame China, but Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — one of eight lawmakers briefed on most secret intelligence information — has said the hack was carried out by “the Chinese.”
“We believe that Social Security numbers were not encrypted, a cybersecurity failure that is absolutely indefensible and outrageous,” the AFGE letter said.
“Based on the sketchy information OPM has provided, we believe that the Central Personnel Data File was the targeted database, and that the hackers are now in possession of all personnel data for every federal employee, every federal retiree and up to one million former federal employees.”
AFGE said it is basing its assessment on internal OPM briefings, despite multiple efforts by OPM to downplay the damage caused by the hack.
