Cyber Hack Services Contract Awarded

OPM and DoD have jointly issued a contract to provide services to those affected by the security clearance files breach including free credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity theft insurance, and identity restoration services for three years. Unlike the earlier contract providing similar services to victims of the personnel files breach (although that one only for 18 months), it also will extend to the victims’ minor children. About 3.6 million current and former federal employees were affected by the security clearance files breach. Virtually all of them also were among the 4.2 million affected by the personnel files breach, for which notices offering services previously were sent, and who in most cases would have decided by now whether they want to take up the offer or arrange for similar protections on their own–or to do nothing. The clearance files breach however involves much more personal information (it also affects many current and former military and contractor personnel, totaling some 21.5 million persons in all). Notices under the new contract are to be sent starting later this month through about the end of the year. They will come from DoD to avoid some of the confusion surrounding the notices regarding the personnel files breach, which came from the contractor for that breach. The new contract also seeks to improve customer service for example by creating a call center to be available at all times for the first six months, then 12 hours a day afterward. Several proposals are pending in Congress to extend the services to 10 years or even lifetime. Sponsors argue that the information in those files could be used indefinitely and thus the offered services should not run out as planned. Language to provide 10 years of protection already has been added to a funding bill on general government matters, and a bid will be made to add lifetime protection as the Senate takes up a cybersecurity bill. The administration has said it is open to expanding the services, potentially making identity protection a basic federal employee benefit, but has not provided specifics.