OPM Data Breach Solution… What About a Plan? by Dianna Tafazoli

OPM has hired Theft Guard Solutions, LLC (DBA ID Experts) out of Portland, Oregon to help with their data security breach headache.  The company has been around since 2003, about 12 years.  The company’s Chief Executive Officer

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is Robert S. Gregg.  There is no information on his compensation or other tidbits that might be interesting reading for the Washington political scene. It is also not clear as to the background the company has that makes it ideal to tackle the biggest cyber crime against the United States in its history.  The company provides software and services to assist their clients in managing privacy and security incidents.  The company was selected from five companies that made offers via the General Services Administration’s (GSA) electronic request-for-quote system.

Theft Guard Solutions was awarded a contract in the amount of $133,253,500 with a cumulative value to $329,825,588 ending December, 2018, if all options are exercised.  The company will provide credit and identity services, identity theft insurance, identity restoration services, website and call center services to Federal employees, retirees and their families who were impacted through background investigation records and had sensitive information stolen.

The announcement of the award to Theft Guard Solutions was announced jointly by the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the United States Department of Defense (DOD).  The company is tasked by the award of the contract with providing an estimated 21.5 million individuals (active, retired and families) with identity theft protection services whose information was compromised as a result of the OPM data security breach.

This certainly sounds like good news for those individuals whose lives might otherwise be turned upside down trying to untangle the web often created when a person’s identity is stolen.  Many individuals suffer great losses in addition to having to prove they are who they say they are and are not the person or persons who have made unauthorized purchases, committed crimes and participated in an array of unsavory actions.  Hopefully, individuals in the Federal workforce will bypass this trauma with the help of Theft Guard Solutions.

Ok, we get it that a company has been awarded a contract to help the Federal employees overcome the pitfalls of identity theft and everything else that comes with it; but what about a plan, a strategy that prevents cyber crimes and data breaches.  Is there such a company out there?  Theft Guard Solutions outlined what they will do and can do, but I did not see any mention of stopping, preventing or blocking cyber crimes.  They will be finished with their obligations all things being equal by 2018.  What then?  If cyber crimes are committed by cyber criminals then why not beef-up cyber police.  I would hate to think that cyber criminals are smarter than cyber police.  I do think they are more vigilant and stay up later at night figuring out ways to get one-up on the good guys.  I’ve got an idea.  Find out who the cyber criminals are, the best ones – the crème of the crop and instead of carting them off to jail – punish them by sentencing them to telling the cyber police how to play the game and win.  After all, nobody knows better what goes into making Bush’s bean great but a Bush.

P. S.  Always Remember to Share What You Know.

Dianna Tafazoli