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Hackers reportedly stole Social Security numbers from every federal employee

Published Jun 11th, 2015 4:16PM EDT
Federal Employees Social Security Numbers Hack

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Yikes. The Associated Press reports that the American Federal of Government Employees union is alleging that hackers actually stole all federal employees’ Social Security numbers in a massive hack that the government first disclosed last week. At the time, the government said that roughly 4 million workers had their personal information exposed during the hack, although AFGE president J. David Cox is now claiming the problem is much worse than what the Obama administration has admitted.

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The union claims that based on internal briefings from the Office of Personnel Management, “the hackers stole military records and veterans’ status information, address, birth date, job and pay history, health insurance, life insurance, and pension information; age, gender, race data,” the AP writes.

“We believe that Social Security numbers were not encrypted, a cybersecurity failure that is absolutely indefensible and outrageous,” the union wrote in a letter to OPM chief Katherine Archuleta. “Based on the sketchy information OPM has provided, we believe that the Central Personnel Data File was the targeted database, and that the hackers are now in possession of all personnel data for every federal employee, every federal retiree, and up to one million former federal employees.”

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.