Vulnerability to Blackmail
What portion of federal elected officials, judges, agents, and bureaucrats had potentially compromising personal information hacked by the government of China in 2015?
Correct Answer
In 2015, cyber specialists associated with the government of China hacked the Obama administration's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and obtained the background investigation records of 21.5 million U.S. government employees. Per OPM, it is "highly likely" this hack exposed virtually all federal employees, including those with "Top Secret level clearance." The stolen information included their Social Security numbers, financial histories, fingerprints, and "information about immediate family and personal and business acquaintances." Per the Defense Personnel Security Research Center, background investigation records may contain information about an "individual's vulnerability to coercion, exploitation or duress" that "may affect the person's personal, professional, or community standing or render the person susceptible to blackmail." The Obama/Biden administration took no public recourse against China and refused to say whether or not it had taken any actions at all.