1. Office Of Personnel Management
Hands down the most impactful breach of the year, and arguably of all time, was the Office of Personnel Management. Discovered in late May, more than 21.5 million federal workers were impacted by the breach, which exposed the Social Security numbers, residency and educational history, employment history, information about immediate family and other personal and business acquaintances, health, criminal and financial history, and more. Reports said the attack was a nation-state attack, linking the breach back to China. The event triggered a shift from the public sector to focus more on security, although the impact on those affected remains to be seen as there really is no precedent for a breach involving this expansive and deep level of personal information.
