Group disputes claim that OPM hack hit all federal workers

At least one federal employees’ group is pushing back against reports that every single government worker has been affected by the recent digital theft at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

It was revealed last week that suspected Chinese hackers had infiltrated the OPM database, stealing 4 million current and former federal workers’ records. But the damage was thought to be limited to the executive branch of the government.

{mosads}On Thursday, the largest federal employees’ union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), said that military and congressional personnel had been affected as well.

In a frustrated letter to the OPM, union president J. David Cox claimed “we believe … hackers are now in possession of all personnel data for every federal employee, every federal retiree, and up to one million former federal employees.”

But the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) is taking issue with that assessment.

“We believe AFGE’s assessment of the breach is overstated,” said Richard Thissen, president of NARFE.

Many people have indicated they expect the scale of the breach to grow substantially, potentially affecting as many as 14 million people and encompassing government contractors and friends and family named in background checks.

NARFE is calling on the OPM to respond specifically to each of AFGE’s claims.

“NARFE feels the federal community is entitled to know the extent of the breach in order for federal employees, former employees and retirees to take the proper precautions to protect themselves,” Thissen said.

The OPM has said publicly only that the investigation is ongoing.

“We do not have any further guidance,” a spokesman said Thursday.