OPM Offers Cyber Security Tips to Federal Employees

July 1, 2016

OPM is still correcting the mistakes it made that led to two massive cyber security breaches last year. The agency recently directed all the federal employees to take some measures to ensure their cyber security remains intact like changing their passwords often. OPM is also increasing the length and coverage of those people who were impacted by the breach and whose accounts were hacked. More details on the extension of the period would be shared later this year.

OPM Asks Federal Employees to Stay Vigilant

The Acting Director of OPM, Beth Cobert recently wrote a letter and urged the federal employees to become more vigilant towards the cyber hygiene. She stated that the current electronic environment is very complex and so there is a need to be on guard against malicious people as well to protect the security of the technology people use on a daily basis. She suggested that feds should constantly update their passwords and stay aware of all the phishing email scams. She says these sorts of actions would prevent any cyber intrusions.

Seeking Identity Protection

About 2.7 people who were impacted by the cyber attacks that impacted more than 21 million people have signed up for free identity protection services that are being offered by ID Experts. This was revealed in the data shared by the agency.

More Insurance Coverage for the Victims

In the letter, Cobert also highlighted that the agency is implementing the fiscal 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act. This act would increase the length as well as the amount of insurance coverage offered to people who were victims of the cyber hacks.

Cobert said that the agency has already increased the amount of identity theft insurance from $1 million to $5 million. This change came into effect on June 1, 2016. She added that the agency is putting in a lot of efforts towards extending identity protection services and credit monitoring services to the people who were impacted by the attacks. The extension would ensure that these people are offered these services for at least 10 years. Cobert concluded that the details of the extension would be shared later this year.

It seems that the agency and its personnel are doing their best to ensure that the victims of the cyber attacks, current and former federal employees, feel better and such an attack never happens again.