Potential employees to U.S. Military and Intelligence have to submit their personal data for security clearance. They fill-in a 127-page vetting document called Standard Form 86 where they have to declare very sensitive information about themselves such as financial history, substance abuse and contact details of friends.
Hackers have accessed the background information on as many as 14 million government employees which can be misused to blackmail them.
- In November 2014, files of 25000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as thousands of other federal workers were hacked.
- In March 2014, a similar attempt on OPM networks was thwarted.
- In 2006, hackers China breached the system of a sensitive bureau in the US Department of Commerce resulting in replacement of several hundred workstations.
The U.S. claims the intruders were from China which was stoutly refuted by Beijing officials.
Cyber security will be strengthened further to prevent further intrusion into cyber infra structure of U.S. departments.
