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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Congressional Report Slams OPM on Data Breach

Summary: A 241-page U.S. House Oversight & Government Reform Committee report released in September 2016 concluded that the OPM breach, which exposed background investigation files on more than 21.5 million people and fingerprint data on 5.6 million, resulted from cascading cybersecurity failures from senior leadership down to outdated technology. The report's timeline shows OPM learned of exfiltration on March 20, 2014, monitored one intruder (Hacker X1) while a second (Hacker X2) used Keypoint contractor credentials on May 7, 2014 to install malware and a backdoor, remaining in the network after the May 27, 2014 'Big Bang' remediation and stealing records through 2015.

Key Takeaway: OPM did not identify the first indicator of Hacker X2's compromise until April 15, 2015, and the panel found that two-factor authentication for remote logons, adopted in early 2015 though long required, would have precluded the intruder's continued access. The report also notes the intrusion, widely attributed to hackers working with the Chinese government, likely revealed which State Department employees in Beijing were CIA officers, prompting the CIA to pull officers from its embassy there.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Data Breaches
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