Poor federal government babies.  Did your information get hacked?

From CNN.com:

First on CNN: U.S. data hack may be 4 times larger than the government originally said

by Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz

Washington (CNN)    The personal data of an estimated 18 million current, former and prospective federal employees were affected by a cyber breach at the Office of Personnel Management – more than four times the 4.2 million the agency has publicly acknowledged. The number is expected to grow, according to U.S. officials briefed on the investigation.

FBI Director James Comey gave the 18 million estimate in a closed-door briefing to Senators in recent weeks, using the OPM’s own internal data, according to U.S. officials briefed on the matter. Those affected could include people who applied for government jobs, but never actually ended up working for the government.

Luckily, I worked for the feds so long ago that Wog hadn’t yet invented the wheel.

U.S. investigators believe the Chinese government is behind the cyber intrusion, which are considered the worst ever against the U.S. government.

Do you think?  The China and Chinese factory workers that William Jefferson Clinton courted in the 90s?

And what about security?

The actual number of people affected is expected to grow, in part because hackers accessed a database storing government forms used for security clearances, known as SF86 questionnaires, which contain the private information of multiple family members and associates for each government official affected, these officials said.

If you’ve never been backgrounded before, investigators send letters to people you know, they interview many persons, check your bank balances, your investments, demand access to your accounts, your social media, speak to neighbors.  I passed not only Top Secret clearances but a Q Clearance.  This information is now immured digitally.  You can now imagine the concern in terms of those backgrounds for security clearances and issues.

As in: most every aspect of your life is held in digital fashion.  To now include your emails, your messaging, your cell phone calls, even your smart phone.

The final highly important paragraphs:

Katherine Archuleta, who leads OPM, is beginning to face heat for her agency’s failure to protect key national security data — highly prized by foreign intelligence agencies — as well as for how slowly the agency has provided information.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., at a hearing last week told Archuleta: “I wish that you were as strenuous and hardworking at keeping information out of the hands of hacker as are at keeping information out of the hands of Congress.”

The digital age will be proven to be the most destructive of ages.

BZ