Follow-up: Cybersecurity Breach

07/15/2015

MEMORANDUM

To:      All Department of the Interior Employees

From: Deputy Secretary Mike Connor

Subject: Follow-up:  Cybersecurity Breach

As a follow-up to last week’s announcement regarding the recent cyber incidents, we wanted to update you on where you can get more information, in addition to providing some helpful reminders about the two incidents.

We shared last week that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched a new, online incident resource center, located at https://www.opm.gov/cybersecurity to offer up-to-date information regarding  OPM incidents as well as to direct individuals to materials, training, and useful information on best practices to secure data, protect against identity theft, and stay safe online. We encourage you to use this resource to answer questions. If you have additional questions after reviewing the website, or suggestions for additional content, please email OPM at: cybersecurity@opm.gov

Additionally, we wanted to share brief updates on both incidents:

1. Personnel Records Incident:  The OPM has largely concluded notifications to individuals whose information may have been compromised by the incident involving personnel records. As we have previously mentioned, OPM is offering credit restoration and monitoring services, and other protections through CSID, a company that specializes in identity theft protection and fraud resolution. Please note that CSID is working on the personnel records incident only and will not have further information about the background investigations incident.

• As a reminder, all affected employees are automatically enrolled in identify theft insurance and identity restoration services – which means that if your information was affected by the breach, you are already enrolled in these programs even if you have not yet contacted CSID. 
• If you have NOT yet received your notification by email or mail (or may have deleted or lost the notification), or are wondering if your records were affected, we encourage you to call CSID at (844) 777-2743.

2. Background Investigations Incident:  In the coming weeks, OPM will begin sending notification letters to people whose Social Security Number appeared on files impacted by the background investigation records incident. The OPM and the Department of Defense will work with a private-sector firm specializing in credit and identity theft monitoring to provide services. Notifications to those affected by this incident have not yet begun.