OPM extends credit monitoring, expects new contract by year's end

The Office of Personnel Management says it expects to wrap up the re-compete award for its credit monitoring contract covering those whose data was breached as part of the OPM hacks.

The contract, awarded to ID Experts in 2015, is set to expire in December. OPM is required by law to provide those affected by the breach coverage through fiscal year 2026.

OPM is in the middle of a solicitation. A spokesperson told FCW that the agency "anticipates completing the re-compete award by the end of December 2018."

In the meantime, the personnel agency said it's extending its existing contract with ID Experts six months — until June 30, 2019.

"Enrolled individuals will continue to receive government-sponsored coverage from ID Experts at no cost for an additional six months," the spokesperson said. "There will be no interruption in service for currently enrolled individuals."

Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said the union was "pleased" with the announcement. Earlier this month, NTEU wrote to acting OPM director Margaret Weichert about the future of the contract.

"This protection is essential for the millions of current and former employees whose personal information was stolen in two separate cybersecurity incidents," he said.

The union is also currently suing OPM over the data breaches, and Reardon confirmed the union "is still pursuing legal action to secure lifetime credit monitoring and identity theft protection for NTEU members."