FEDERAL · OPM · BIOMETRIC BREACH
The OPM breach exposed fingerprint records for about 5.6 million people.
Federal background-investigation records compromised → fingerprint records exposed → permanent biometric identifiers outside custodian control
The 2015 compromise of U.S. Office of Personnel Management systems exposed extraordinarily sensitive federal personnel and background-investigation information. After further analysis, the government revised its estimate of affected fingerprint records upward to approximately 5.6 million people.
The incident is particularly relevant to biometric privacy because fingerprints are durable identifiers. A person can change a password, cancel a credit card or rotate an access token. A person cannot realistically replace the fingerprints attached to their hands.
Government sources: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — cybersecurity incidents · U.S. Government Accountability Office — OPM breach review
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