OPM data breach: Feds can claim their part of $63 million settlement
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Affected feds, contractors and others can now seek monetary compensation for costs they suffered in the 2015 breach, through a newly launched settlement website.
Feds and others affected by the infamous Office of Personnel Management data breach unearthed over a half-decade ago may soon get some compensation.
That breach—well-known to most feds as the largest ever—is estimated to have compromised private data on over 21 million current and past federal employees, as well as millions of contractors and others whose work led them to seek security clearances through federal channels. Federal officials and outside experts have pointed to hackers working in behalf of the Chinese government as responsible for the data theft.
A $63 million settlement fund to satisfy a long-percolating class action lawsuit filed in connection with the security breakdown and its aftermath was announced last month—and now a website finally has gone live, where damaged parties can file their claims.
The site offers links to forms whereby applicants can seek payment from two separate buckets—covering out-of-pocket expenses and compensable time (spent, for example, on credit monitoring and identify theft management). Payments starting at a minimum of $700 are available for “reasonably documented” claims on each side of the fund.
A FAQ page was also posted for those interested in the settlement.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a major complainant and federal employee representative in the litigation, expressed relief on behalf of millions of feds who should find at least modest help and solace from the settlement.
“As lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) over its failure to protect employees’ personal data that led to one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history, AFGE is happy to report that a settlement of $63 million has been reached to help data breach victims recover losses,” the union said.
Another major federal employee union, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), also quickly posted news and instructions regarding the settlement and claims website.
For those who wish to pursue their own separate claims against OPM and the contractor that is party to the agreement, the postmark deadline for opting out of the settlement is Sept. 9, 2022.
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