Federal Data Breach Reveals Weaknesses Of U.S. Cybersecurity

05:37

July 10, 2015

(L-R), Katherine Archuleta, Director of the OPM, Andy Ozment of the National Program Preparedness Directorate's Office of Cyber Security and Communications, Tony Scott of the Office of Management and Budget's Office of E-Government and Information Technology, Sylvia Burns, CIO of the Interior Department, Donna Seymour, CIO of the OPM, and Michael Esser, assistant inspector general for audits in OPM, appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill June 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The head of the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management has resigned, following a massive data breach by hackers. The breach revealed the weakness of the agency’s cybersecurity and raises questions about the security of all the government’s networks.

The breach is much larger than originally thought. Hackers stole more than 21 million social security numbers, as well as fingerprint records, employment histories and even information on employees' children and spouses.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson talked with security expert Kevin Mitnick, who served time for hacking and is now the head of Mitnick Security Consulting.

"It's been known for years that the government really has poor security," Mitnick said. "I mean, we're not talking about the CIA and the NSA or Department of Defense, but other agencies within the federal government – when we read reports about their security practices, you're talking about report cards of D's and F's. They don't have their act together."

Guest

Kevin Mitnick, head of Mitnick Security Consulting and author of "Ghost in the Wires," "The Art of Intrusion" and "The Art of Deception."

This segment aired on July 10, 2015.

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