OPM Update on Response to Cyber Intrusion

Dear Colleagues:

All of us at the Office of Personnel Management want to wish our Federal family and all those who help support the important work of the nation a Happy New Year and a successful 2016.

We want to take a moment to update you on our response to the malicious cyber intrusion carried out against the Federal Government.

We have completed the initial mailing of the notification letters to individuals impacted by the background investigation records incident.  If you have received a notification letter, we encourage you to take advantage of the identity theft protection and credit monitoring services the government is offering at no cost to you. You can enroll in these services through the OPM website, www.opm.gov/cybersecurity. Individuals with enrollment questions may also call 800-750-3004.

As part of the budget law enacted in December 2015, OPM has been directed to provide identity theft protection and monitoring services to those affected by either the personnel files or background investigation records incidents for at least 10 years.  We are fully committed to providing these services and are working through the details on how we will implement the new law.  We will keep you informed as decisions are made.

We are happy to report that so far, about 2.4 million people have enrolled in the identity theft protection and credit monitoring services from the background investigation records incident in addition to the more than 1 million who enrolled as part of the personnel files incident. That enrollment rate is about triple the industry average, and we are glad that so many individuals are taking advantage of these services.

We would also like to remind you that OPM has established a verification center to assist those who have not received a notification letter but believe they may have been impacted by the background investigation records incident.

If you contact the verification center, you will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. You will then receive a letter in the mail stating whether or not our records indicate your Social Security number was compromised in the intrusion involving background investigation records.

The verification center is also available to help those who have received a letter, but whose 25-digit PIN code is not working, and individuals who need a copy of their letter to be resent. The verification center can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via a link on the OPM website. You can also contact the verification center by calling 866-408-4555, Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET.

We encourage anyone with questions about the cybersecurity intrusion to visit www.opm.gov/cybersecurity. We continue to refresh this site as new information becomes available and individuals may sign up for automatic updates.

OPM and our partners across government continue to work hard to protect the safety and security of the information of Federal employees, contractors and others who provide their information to us.

Thank you for your service to the American people, and for your continuing support. Have a wonderful 2016.

Sincerely,
Beth F. Cobert
Acting Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management