This April, the federal Office of Personnel Management realized the names, birth dates, home addresses and Social Security numbers of 4.2 million current and former federal government employees had been stolen. As it investigated the hacking incident, it discovered even more personal information had been compromised.
Hackers, it realized, had stolen the Social Security numbers of an additional 21.5 million people. That includes 19.7 million who got background checks as part of their job application, and 1.8 million non-applicants, who are primarily their spouses and friends. About 1.1 million stolen records included fingerprints.
That cyberattack appears to be the largest breach of the systems of the U.S. government, touching the lives of nearly 7 percent of the country’s population.
You may have had your information stolen if you fall under the following categories:
— Current or former federal government workers
— Current or former federal contractors
— Job candidates for federal employment who underwent a background check
— Spouses or friends of current or former federal government workers, contractors, or job candidates whose information was stolen
Those who underwent a background check through OPM in 2000 or afterwards (you would have submitted the forms SF-86, SF-85, or SF-85P) are “highly likely” to have had their information stolen, according to OPM. If you had a background check prior to 2000, it’s less likely.
So how will you know for sure if your information was taken? You might have to wait a little longer.
OPM will start to notify people (through the mail) in the coming weeks. It will auto-enroll some people in certain services, and people will need to elect to enroll in others.
In the meantime, here’s how to protect yourself:
— Visit IdentityTheft.gov to learn about setting up fraud alerts on your accounts and shielding your children from identity theft.
— Update your passwords.
— Make sure your computer is as secure as possible by visiting On Guard Online.
— If you notice fraudulent activity, complete a Federal Trade Commission identity theft complaint form.
— Report the activity to your local police. Give them a copy of the identity theft form, and request a copy of the police report.
Here’s a video of an oversight hearing on the data breach:
[youtube=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Y6IefNq2Q”]