Posted on 09/23/2015 9:03:54 AM PDT by dennisw
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration says the fingerprints of 5.6 million people who applied for or received a federal security clearance were stolen — not 1.1 million as first believed.
That sobering news comes from the Office of Personnel Management, the federal personnel agency whose data was hacked in what officials believe was a Chinese espionage operation.
An estimated 21.5 million current and former federal employees or job applicants were affected in a data theft that experts say will give Chinese intelligence a huge leg up in recruiting informants. It could also help the Chinese catch U.S. spies.
The agency says the ability of an U.S. adversary to misuse fingerprint data is limited. But for intelligence operatives, the notion that the Chinese have their fingerprints is a nightmare.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Who cares if someone other than the government has your fingerprints?
I care. But, then, I already got my “Oops!” Letter from OPM.
It matters, if you are working covert operations, in another country. Chinese were not really after the identifications of those with clearances to sell them, rather to identify those who are working covertly in their country.
Another gaping security hole exploited.
It's what he's done his whole life!
Wait till he causes all the bank accounts to be frozen due to massive ID theft of his "healthsnare" scam!
this is what happens when the government is filled entirely with people selected solely on the basis of political correctness, proper skin color, proper gender, and proper ethnicity, you know, instead of based on education, knowledge, experience, ability and competence.
Yeah, it’s not like that lets a simple thief cash checks or do anything else to frame you.
Discourage friends and relatives from working for the US govt, especially the gay US military.
You forgot political affiliation and contributions.
I’m an Australian citizen. I have visited the US many times but somewhere around 10 years ago the US govt. decided to require citizens of oz to submit to fingerprinting to enter the US. I have never visited since. Something about it never felt right. I checked with cousins who visited this year and the policy is still in place and it is for each visit even if you have been fingerprinted before on a prior visit.
Just wow.
...stolen...
Shouldn’t this give me plausible deniability on just about any hacking, credit problem, fingerprint evidence, etc.
I just applied to gain unescorted access to a nuclear power plant
[ Shouldn’t this give me plausible deniability on just about any hacking, credit problem, fingerprint evidence, etc. ]
Nope. Because FedGov never takes responsibility...
Our fingerprints are be safer with some hacker than our government. If you like your fingerprints, you can keep your fingerprints.
It’ll all be the same Government soon anyway....
Wait'll the IRS gets hacked, and all American taxpayer info is breached. Oh wait. That already happened this year. Nevermind.
>>it is for each visit even if you have been fingerprinted before on a prior visit.<<
Because, obviously, your fingerprints change over time! Hahaha...government “logic” at its best...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.