Clearance Breach Response in Hurry Up and Wait Mode

Federal employees who were affected by the breach of security clearance files still have not been sent notices of specific information that has been compromised, although almost all of the 4.2 million current and former employees affected by a separate breach of personnel files data have now been notified. The remainder of those impacted by the personnel files breach–involving personal identification and career records, mainly–consists of those for whom the government did not have a current home or e-mail address. On the clearance files breach, officials earlier warned that anyone who applied for a clearance or reinvestigated since 2000, and in some cases earlier, should assume that their files were compromised. In some cases that will go beyond the highly personal information the applicant discloses on forms SF 86, SF 85 or SF 85P to include findings of background investigators and even fingerprints. OPM has not yet issued a contract to provide the promised identity theft-related services to some 3.6 million current and former federal employees affected by that breach (virtually all of whom also were affected by the personnel file breach) or to the roughly 17 million contractor and military personnel also affected; also, a call center OPM has promised to establish still is not available.