ALEXANDRIA, Va. (November 27, 2018) – In response to a media report that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is rebidding a contract providing identity theft protection for federal employees, retirees and contractors affected by cyberattacks in 2015, NARFE National President Ken Thomas issued the following statement:
“In 2015, nearly 22 million current and former federal employees and contractors saw their privacy violated and personal information compromised in two cyberattacks within OPM. At that time, the lack of information available fueled rumors and exacerbated the unease of federal employees and retirees. Now, once again, we find ourselves left with more questions than answers. For the past three years, it has been well-known that the current contract providing identity theft protection to those affected expires at the end of 2018. I am disappointed to learn that OPM is only now in the beginning stages of providing the victims protection for the next seven years, as mandated by Congress.
“The failure of OPM to adequately safeguard the personal information of federal employees, retirees, prospective employees and their families should not be compounded by uncertainty over what’s next for those affected. If OPM is truly committed to assisting the victims find some sense of security and normalcy, OPM must provide them with timely notification and reassuring information regarding their identity theft protection and insurance for the next seven years.
“Many in the federal community are living their lives with the ever-looming burden of vulnerability due to the compromise of their personal information. It may be years before criminals use the information that was taken, and it is only fair to provide continued financial protection for the many victims who spent a lifelong career in federal service. In addition to the next seven years of coverage, NARFE calls on Congress to provide lifetime coverage to the victims of these cyberattacks.”
Additional Details on the OPM Identity Protection Contract Set to Expire
OPM is now soliciting quotes from vendors using the General Services Administration Identity Protection Services Multiple Award Blanket Purchase Agreement to rebid the contract. The agency expects to complete the re-compete by the end of December 2018. OPM reported to NARFE that services offered to the victims currently enrolled with ID Experts will be extended through June 30, 2019, with no interruption of services and at no cost to participants. According to the agency, these individuals do not need to take any action at this time and can expect no changes to their current coverage. Updates will be made available on the OPM Cybersecurity Resource Center website.
The 2015 breaches left many in the federal community victimized and vulnerable after their personal information was stolen. With a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty renewed by the impending expiration of the current contract and OPM’s delayed action, it is paramount that OPM provides victims with clarity through timely notifications on what to expect for the remaining seven years of mandated protection. Further, the threat of identity theft will not expire with the end of the ten-year mandate set by Congress to provide identity protection services. Because of this, NARFE strongly supports the RECOVER Act, H.R. 5765, introduced by Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC, and Dutch Ruppersberger, D-MD. This vitally important legislation would provide lifetime identity protection services for affected individuals.