US hit by 'massive data breach'

[webfact]

Massive breach of federal personnel data
KEN DILANIAN, Associated Press
RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers broke into the U.S. government personnel office and stole identifying information of at least 4 million federal workers.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Thursday that at the beginning of May, data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Interior Department was compromised.

"The FBI is conducting an investigation to identify how and why this occurred," the statement said.

A U.S. official who declined to be identified said the data breach could potentially affect every federal agency. One key question is whether intelligence agency employee information was compromised.

The Office of Personnel Management is the human resources department for the federal government, and it conducts background checks for security clearances. The OPM conducts more than 90 percent of federal background investigations, according to its website.

In November, a former Department of Homeland Security contractor disclosed another cyberbreach that compromised the private files of more than 25,000 DHS workers and thousands of other federal employees.

DHS said its intrusion detection system, known as EINSTEIN, which screens federal Internet traffic to identify potential cyber threats, identified the hack of OPM's systems and the Interior Department's data center, which is shared by other federal agencies.

"DHS is continuing to monitor federal networks for any suspicious activity and is working aggressively with the affected agencies to conduct investigative analysis to assess the extent of this alleged intrusion," the statement said.
___

Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-05

[ezzra]

So now 4 millions more people will get emails offering Viagra pills penis enlargement

and that they won the lottery somewhere advertisements....

Edited June 5, 2015 by ezzra

[MaxYakov]

So now 4 millions more people will get emails offering Viagra pills penis enlargement

and that they won the lottery somewhere advertisements....

If they're lucky enough to have the impact limited to just that.

(Yeah, I get the humor in your point, I'm just in a pessimistic mood this morning).

[NeverSure]

I can not believe this. I hope this was social hacking* or an insider job and not technical hacking. It shouldn't be capable of happening, technically.

* "Social hacking describes the act of attempting to manipulate outcomes of social behavior through orchestrated actions. The general function of social hacking is to gain access to restricted information or to a physical space without proper permission. Most often, social hacking attacks are achieved by impersonating an individual or group who is directly or indirectly known to the victims or by representing an individual or group in a position of authority. This is done through pre-meditated research and planning to gain victims’ confidence. Social hackers take great measures to present overtones of familiarity and trustworthiness to elicit confidential or personal information.Social hacking is most commonly associated as a component of “social engineering”." Link

[gigman]

just about time...

[FangFerang]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

[maidee]

they just learned there is always someone out there smarter than you

would like to see the face of the guy that oversold their system of being safe

[otherstuff1957]

NSA phone/internet spying gets renewed and the biggest breach of US computer security ever right in the same week.... instant Karma!

[Asiantravel]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

[Andrew65]

So now 4 millions more people will get emails offering Viagra pills penis enlargement

and that they won the lottery somewhere advertisements....

Yes, not surprisingly, some people have a bone-on over this!

[RigPig]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

[BuaBS]

They 're just adding names to the list for when the big PURGE comes.

[MockingJay]

Taking some of your very own medicine usually has a very bitter taste, aye?

[Shiver]

I missed the rest of the story after reading that there's at least 4 million feds!!! That means there's probably one living on every suburban street.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Shiver

[ABCer]

All those feds working undercover - take cover.

[thaibeachlovers]

I can not believe this. I hope this was social hacking* or an insider job and not technical hacking. It shouldn't be capable of happening, technically.

* "Social hacking describes the act of attempting to manipulate outcomes of social behavior through orchestrated actions. The general function of social hacking is to gain access to restricted information or to a physical space without proper permission. Most often, social hacking attacks are achieved by impersonating an individual or group who is directly or indirectly known to the victims or by representing an individual or group in a position of authority. This is done through pre-meditated research and planning to gain victims’ confidence. Social hackers take great measures to present overtones of familiarity and trustworthiness to elicit confidential or personal information.Social hacking is most commonly associated as a component of “social engineering”." Link

Everything has been hacked already, it's just that other hackers are better at what they do and we don't find out. Nothing on the 'net is safe.

[mania]

never happened.... this is just the right hand waving to draw your attention away from the left hand that has recently been scalded for flying/spying

over US cities

[Asiantravel]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

Well then you would think a reputable magazine like Forbes would get their facts right before printing this article?

Chinese Cyber Attack Could Shut Down U.S. Electric Power Grid

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2014/11/28/chinese-cyber-attack-could-shut-down-u-s-electric-power-grid/

[Andaman Al]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

There is nothing to stop them, and RigPig, it is connected to the internet the truth is that now, kinetic weapons are kind of becoming outdated. It is possible to bring a country to its knees in a matter of a few hours without firing a bullet or threatening to use a nuke. The future of war is cyber war.

[F430murci]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

Well then you would think a reputable magazine like Forbes would get their facts right before printing this article?

Chinese Cyber Attack Could Shut Down U.S. Electric Power Grid

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2014/11/28/chinese-cyber-attack-could-shut-down-u-s-electric-power-grid/

And Russia says US has weapons in space that is altering Russia's weather patterns, ebola is astroids are heading this way, aliens have taken over the white house, shape shifting lizards are running the military and yada, yada, yada. Why does it excite some so much to think of such scenarios?

[sdanielmcev]

If those geniuses in the FBI and NSA and a few nameless other acronyms are so stupid as to attach a computer with such critical information to the internet, they are just throwing bait in the water and forgetting the hook, line and sinker.

Nice job. Glad to see my tax dollars wasted, and my privacy further eroded.

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

There is nothing to stop them, and RigPig, it is connected to the internet the truth is that now, kinetic weapons are kind of becoming outdated. It is possible to bring a country to its knees in a matter of a few hours without firing a bullet or threatening to use a nuke. The future of war is cyber war.

No. Always need boots(maybe far in the future bots) on the ground.

[IAMHERE]

I missed the rest of the story after reading that there's at least 4 million feds!!! That means there's probably one living on every suburban street.

Many were former Feds, retirees, summer hires, etc.

I think it was on behalf of one or all of the 3 credit agencies drumming up business for themselves.

[thaibeachlovers]

If they can do this what is to stop them hacking into the US power grid and shutting that down?

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

Well then you would think a reputable magazine like Forbes would get their facts right before printing this article?

Chinese Cyber Attack Could Shut Down U.S. Electric Power Grid

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2014/11/28/chinese-cyber-attack-could-shut-down-u-s-electric-power-grid/

And Russia says US has weapons in space that is altering Russia's weather patterns, ebola is astroids are heading this way, aliens have taken over the white house, shape shifting lizards are running the military and yada, yada, yada. Why does it excite some so much to think of such scenarios?

Have a close look at the politicians- some are definitely reptilian .

Quote removed to allow posting

[F430murci]

The fact it isn´t connected to the Internet may help a bit...

Well then you would think a reputable magazine like Forbes would get their facts right before printing this article?

Chinese Cyber Attack Could Shut Down U.S. Electric Power Grid

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2014/11/28/chinese-cyber-attack-could-shut-down-u-s-electric-power-grid/

And Russia says US has weapons in space that is altering Russia's weather patterns, ebola is astroids are heading this way, aliens have taken over the white house, shape shifting lizards are running the military and yada, yada, yada. Why does it excite some so much to think of such scenarios?

Have a close look at the politicians- some are definitely reptilian .

Quote removed to allow posting

Reptilian is a compliment to a lot of them.