Mike Nartker
GHG Monitor
8/23/13

A “cyber incident” that occurred at the end of July may have put the personal information of as many as 14,000 current and former Department of Energy employees at risk of theft, according to a DOE memorandum issued last week. While the incident resulted in “the unauthorized disclosure of federal employee Personally Identifiable Information,” no classified data was targeted or affected, the Aug. 14 message says. “The Department’s Cybersecurity office, the Office of Health, Safety and Security and the Inspector General’s office are working with other federal law enforcement to obtain information concerning the nature of the incident,” the message says, adding, “Once the full nature and extent of this incident is known, the Department will implement a full remediation plan.”

DOE plans to begin notifying affected employees “no later” than Aug. 16 and expects to complete notifications by Aug. 30. “Current and former employees receiving an individual notification will be provided with additional information and offered assistance on protecting themselves from potential identity theft.  The Department will offer affected personnel free credit monitoring for one year as well as provide recommendations and best practices for minimizing the potential for identity theft,” DOE said.