Off The Grid: 5.6 Million Fingerprints Stolen in Government Cyberattack, Five Times More Than Previously Estimated

The Office of Personnel Management recently admitted to underestimating the amount of fingerprints stolen in last summer’s cyberattack, concluding 5.6 million were hacked.

Federal government officials state 5.6 million fingerprints were stolen in last summer’s cyberattacks, five times the 1.1. million previously estimated.

The Office of Personnel Management revealed the information in its latest press release, and also said that this new information does not affect the already-estimated number of federal employees who had their personal information stolen, such as social security. That figure still remains at 21.5 million.

OPM notes the misuse of fingerprints is limited, but technology could change that over time.

Senator Ben Sasse told reporters the administration is overlooking this as a national security threat saying:"The American people have no reason to believe that they’ve heard the full story and every reason to believe that Washington assumes they are too stupid or preoccupied to care about cyber security.”

Members of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense have teamed up to investigate the matter further, with the Daily Beast noting that China is suspected behind the attack.

Written by

Kanika Lal

Kanika Lal moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career as a host, writer, and producer. She currently works for Ora TV’s NewsBreaker where she constantly keeps up with the latest stories, writes, and broadcasts them from Ora studios. Kanika began her love for journalism at The Hollywood Reporter as a digital news producer and red carpet correspondent. She had the honor of interviewing Anderson Cooper, John Mayer, Cate Blanchett, and covered the 71st Annual Golden Globes. After a rewarding and solid year, she then took her skills a step closer to her passion: hosting. You can catch her recapping television shows under Maria Menounos’ AfterBuzz TV as well as hosting and producing a Bollywood show for Menounos’ Popcorn Talk network. Kanika thrives on self-expression, and she achieves that through Indian classical and contemporary dance as well as hip-hop. She also has small but growing acting credits under her name, as she strives to branch out creatively. Kanika thrives on discovering hidden stories and engaging with a variety of people. She hopes to have an influence in the world of arts, pop culture, politics, and science.

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