Special to WorldTribune.com

China’s recent hacking of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) included millions of personnel files that go back at least 25 years.

Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, who worked in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration, said the hacking scandal could make potential federal employees skittish about working for a government that can’t be trusted with their information.

Comstock is concerned that the hacking attack may have revealed information about CIA and Pentagon officials.

“What is most alarming about this most recent criminal hack is that it was launched less than 18 months after a previous severe network assault on OPM. The trust between our federal employees, our citizens, and their government’s capability to thwart an attack is without a doubt damaged.

“Serious security measures to avoid these lapses need to be crafted and put in place in advance of the next attack. We owe this to all our federal government employees and senior government officials who disclose very sensitive and personal information when they receive their security clearances,” Comstock said.

One former defense official, Jed L. Babbin, said his security clearance application dates to 1990 and a letter he received from OPM warned that his personal information was “compromised” in the hack.

“There is no excuse,” he said.

  Barbara Comstock, China cyber attack stole data dating back 25 years, may have impacted military and intelligence officials, Office of Personnel Management, WorldTribune.com