WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee for Consumer Protection and Data Security, today responded to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announcement that more than 21 million Americans inside and outside the federal government had their personal information stolen as part of a second massive OPM data breach. This figure is in addition to the 4.2 million individuals who were impacted by the OPM data breach made public in June. The personal information that was compromised includes Social Security numbers, military records, veterans’ status, security clearance forms, fingerprint data, residency and educational history, employment history, information about immediate family and other personal and business acquaintances, health insurance, criminal and financial history, address, birth date, age, gender and race.
“We finally heard some refreshing honesty this week about the true scope of the OPM data breach when FBI Director Comey testified before the Senate, ‘it is a huge deal.’ Underscoring his statement is today’s revelation that 22 million Americans had their sensitive personal information stolen in a second OPM data breach – five times more than the administration and OPM have led us to believe. As the number of impacted Americans continues to rise, the OPM Director’s statement that she does not ‘believe anyone [at OPM]is personally responsible’ is even more difficult to stomach.
“The fact is all the warning signs were there. OPM was aware of the persistent issues – including three data breaches in 2014 that should have served as stark warnings that the personal data of millions of federal employees was being targeted by hackers. Yet, there is little evidence that any action was taken by OPM. This lack of response has put federal workers, the American people, and – most importantly – our national security at risk. It is far past time for OPM and the Administration to provide full information to Congress and the American people, and for those responsible to be held accountable.”
