Size of the OPM Hack Quadruples to 18 Million

Hackers may have pilfered the personal data of as many as 18 million individuals from Office of Personnel Management records—four times as many as OPM originally estimated, according to a CNN report late Monday.

Those caught up in the massive attack include current, former and prospective federal employees, CNN said: “Those affected could include people who applied for government jobs, but never actually ended up working for the government.”

According to CNN, the new estimate was provided by FBI Director James Comey during closed-door briefings to Senators.

OPM began mailing letters to some 4.2 million current and former federal employees last week alerting them that their personal information may have been compromised and offering credit-monitoring services.

Employees and union representatives have complained that federal officials have been too slow to provide vital information to those affected, and some lawmakers have called for OPM Director Katherine Archuleta to be fired. 

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