[rcurry]

Oh, you mean like all the personal information I had to submit to the Defense Investigative Service when they did my background check for a security clearance?

Why, it's funny you should ask! I just got a letter from the Office or Personnel Management about three months ago, proudly informing me that all that data is now in the hands of some foreign intelligence service.

Of course, they claimed it was the result of a "sophisticated" attack, which is government fail-speak for "We left your data on a bus, and a hobo took it".

[avukich]

>> Of course, they claimed it was the result of a "sophisticated" attack, which is government fail-speak for "We left your data on a bus, and a hobo took it".

No it isn't. The hack of OPM was very well publicized. It was a long time project of the Chinese government to break into OPM's computers. I don't believe everything I read, but in this case I know is exactly what happened.

[atourgates]

My wife got the same letter from her time working at the VA. Fingerprints, social security number and all the other personal details that they required.

[eli]

Didn't the Chinese government more or less admit it was behind the OPM hack?

That doesn't prove the data was well secured or that the attack was especially sophisticated, but surely China is a capable adversary.