In a major security breach, cyber intruders obtained millions of federal employee files from OPM, along with over 1.1 million fingerprint records. This aspect of the hack could have some of the most severe repercussions, affecting 21.5 million individuals. While the identity of those who have this data is still unknown, American intelligence suggests that China is a likely suspect. The stolen fingerprints could potentially be used to enhance surveillance activities against the U.S.
An OPM spokesperson stated that every federal agency is affected and no one is exempt. In a scenario that feels like something out of a Mission Impossible movie, the culprits could create physical duplicates of the stolen fingerprints using materials like latex. With these counterfeits, they could unlock devices secured with fingerprint recognition technology, belonging to American diplomats and government agents. This breach could lead to the exposure of confidential discussions, disruption of investigations, or even negatively impact international negotiations.