On November 10, 2014, the United States Postal Service notified the NPMHU of a cyber-intrusion into some of its information systems. According to the USPS, the investigation indicates that files containing employee information were compromised, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, addresses, beginning and end dates of employment, and emergency contact information for all active employees. The Service claims that steps have already have been taken to strengthen the security of USPS systems affirming that there will be additional measures in the coming days and weeks. The Service is working closely with the FBI, the Department of Justice, Inspector General and Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team to determine the source and magnitude of the breach.
The Postal Service will be conducting stand-up talks with all employees. There are some immediate steps you can take. According to the Service, a personalized letter from the Postmaster General is being sent to your home address via First-Class Mail with an enrollment code for a credit monitoring product that is being provided to all employees free of charge for one year. The Union encourages you to take advantage of this free service. If you do not receive your letter by November 20, please contact the Human Resources Shared Services Center (HRSSC) at 1-877-477-3273, and choose option 5 (option 1 for TDD/TTY), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m.– 8:30 p.m., ET.
Rest assured that the NPMHU is doing everything possible to ensure that the Postal Service takes appropriate steps to minimize the adverse effects of this privacy failure. Watch your bulletin boards, U.S. Mail and Union publications for additional information.
For more information, please read:
- USPS Newsbreak: Notification of cyber intrusion and employee data compromise
