The FBI employee data hack offers three useful lessons for all of us

Useful takeaways from this story.

(Obviously.) But I've avidly followed the news that ShinyHunters, a prolific hacking group, allegedly broke into the FBI's personnel records.

Our employee records hold sensitive data, starting with our physical address, birth date, and social security number.

Welcome to Safe Mode, your weekly report for pressing security and privacy news—and what steps to take next.

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The useful part

(Obviously.) But I've avidly followed the news that ShinyHunters, a prolific hacking group, allegedly broke into the FBI's personnel records. Welcome to Safe Mode, your weekly report for pressing security and privacy news—and what steps to take next. Our employee records hold sensitive data, starting with our physical address, birth date, and social security number.

How it works

Of course, that info could be easily found through other sources (especially in this day and age).
Far more private would be your salary (and salary history), start date, benefits, and even possibly direct deposit information.
Should such details ever leak to the dark web, most of us would not be at the same risk as FBI employees.
On the flip side, we don't have the same training as FBI employees, so we're less likely to be on the lookout for warning s...

What to take from it

Also in part because we wouldn't have lost detailed medical info, either.

Details worth keeping

At least, not as juicy targets for foreign governments.

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