WASHINGTON–The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said it is temporarily suspending use of an online background investigation tool following the discovery of a potential vulnerability in the system.
OPM was the victim of an ongoing data breach that was announced earlier this year and that may affect up to 18 million government workers, former workers and potential hires. Among the federal agencies where employee data may have been exposed is NCUA.
For now, OPM said it has taken off line its Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP), which it used to allow individuals to complete and submit background investigations prior to being hired. OPM handles more than two-million background checks each year. Concerns over the security of that system have led to its temporary shuttering. OPM said it had no evidence that the system had actually been breached.
Separately, a lawsuit has now been filed as a result of the OPM breach on behalf of federal workers. That suit alleges privacy law violations and negligence by OPM related to data security.