Letter to Katherine Archuleta, Director of the Office of Personnel Management - Provide Identity Theft Protection to Everyone Potentially Impacted by Data Breach
Letter
Dear Director Archuleta:
I am writing regarding the offer made by OPM to provide identity theft protection for those affected by the data breach. This protection has become a matter of concern not only for the 4 million current and former federal employees aware that their data was hacked, but also for countless others who suspect that their personal information may have been accessed as well.
A recent report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations indicated that the cyberattack is likely to have impacted a significantly larger number of federal workers than has been reported by your agency. According to the FBI, more than 18 million people may have been affected by the data breach as a result of hackers gaining access to information contained in security clearance documents. Even that number may be a conservative estimate given that it does not account for the personally identifiable information of family members and references which is also contained in these forms.
Given the growing scope of this matter, I believe OPM's offer of identity theft protection should be extended to all individuals who are potentially impacted by the breach--not just the 4.2 million who have been identified to date. This should include the millions of people whose information was accessed when background check files were compromised. Furthermore, the timeline for the protection should be extended beyond the 18 months initially offered by OPM to account for the fact that the number of people potentially affected continues to grow.
OPM bears an important responsibility to uphold its role as a steward of the sensitive personal information of all current and former federal workers. That responsibility includes a duty to respond appropriately when, as a result of its actions or omissions, information is illegally accessed. Extending identity theft protection is an important step in the direction of helping affected people cope with the potentially dangerous consequences of this breach.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely yours,
Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress
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