OK, you hear noises downstairs. You think there is a prowler in your house or apartment. You call 911.  They take your call, get your address and tell you they will send help — in a several months. Four months tops!  Meantime, hang in there.

The above situation is how many current, former and retired federal workers feel in the aftermath of (at least) two hacks earlier this year that harvested all kinds of personal and official information on something like 22.1 million people.

In a country with 320 million people — such as the U.S. of A — 22.1 million is a large number. That would be a lot even in China, which is thought to be the place where so much official and personal data now resides. It raises a number of questions:

• What are “they” (the bad guys) going to do with information such as people’s names, addresses, Social Security numbers, security clearance data and information about spouses or the significant others of current and former feds?

• What will Uncle Sam (our team) do about the two breaches?

• And when is Team Uncle Sam going to tell people whose credit (among other things) is at risk?

Then what?

Government Executive says  it could take up to  FOUR MONTHS before some security firm is signed up to sort out (one hopes) the multiple messes.  Federal News Radio and others have reported that the government has promised to provide protection to those impacted.  But what does that — considering it couldn’t prevent the breach — mean?

How long will the protection last? And as many people have asked, what does that even mean?

Many experts (real and self-appointed) on the OPM hack suspect the information will be used to build profiles on key government personnel.  In addition to financial information, personal and psychological tidbits gleaned from background checks could be recruiting or blackmail ammunition for the other sides’ version of the CIA, FBI and NSA.

When the government promises to “protect” people, what does that mean? For how long and from what? If they are cleaned out, for example, does the help include advice and counseling, or does it — like real insurance — cover any financial losses?

FederalNewsRadio  has talked with or heard from  hundreds of current, former and retired feds.  The vast majority, to date, have heard nothing.

Which could be something.

Carry on!

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Sam Ufret

An elite group of calligraphers known as the “master penman” are the world’s most talented artists in the calligraphic arts. Jake Weidman is the youngest master penman by 30 years. There are currently only 12 in the world today.

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