Top US official Quits After Cyber Hacking At OPM: Breach Involves Data Of 21 Million People

The director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where a massive data breach took place, has resigned. The incumbent Katherine Archuleta said she has stepped down to help the department "move beyond the current challenges."

The U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper had blamed China as the "leading suspect" in the massive data breaches, where data of more than 20 million names have been compromised. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton also slammed China for hacking and said it was "trying to hack into everything that doesn't move in America". But China has dismissed such claims as "irresponsible and unscientific". The U. S authorities still suspect Chinese hackers for having targeted the computer systems at the OPM, which acts as the personnel office of the federal government.

Asked To Quit

Initially the OPM claimed the damage was minimal and was only 4 million names. However, the department later disclosed that the data breach was massive and contained more than 20 million people, including current and former employees. During a hearing, Senator John McCain exchanged harsh words with Achuleta, while chastising her for ignoring the warnings of OPM inspector general Patrick McFarland. Archuleta's resignation comes after Democrats and Republicans in Congress stepped up calls to quit as it became evident that the data breach was massive.

The data had forms that vet potential employees of federal agencies including the CIA and branches of the military. The OPM is the human resource department for the U.S government. The stolen data also carries health and financial information, criminal records, and addresses of employees and their relatives. Experts are worried that the sensitive information could be used to blackmail the U.S agents, by adversaries.

SF86 Details

The data has the critical SF86 form - a 120-page questionnaire that examines an applicant's personal history, including his financial records and family information. "I'm sure the adversary has my SF-86 now," FBI Director James Comey told a Senate panel recently. Some fear that the stolen information could be used by the hackers and their sponsors to blackmail, exploit, or recruit U.S. intelligence officers and may compromise the safety of agents at home and abroad. But this was dismissed by an expert. "There is no blackmail threat," said Dave Aitel, CEO of cybersecurity company Immunity, Inc,. "If there was any chance you could be blackmailed by a foreign government, the U.S. would not have given you security clearance in the first place." The massive breach was discovered by network-forensics company CyTech Services while doing a product demo of its new software package, CyFIR, in early June.

(For feedback/comments, contact the writer at k.kumar@ibtimes.com.au)