In addition to his role as PJ Media columnist, Richard Fernandez is an expert in networked computer information systems.  His latest essay reports the news that the Chinese were given the passwords to rummage around for many months throughout the federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) network.  In other words, this is not "hacking," but rather treason.

American intelligence-gathering and counterintelligence encompass active theaters of the ongoing cold war with China and Russia.  OPM handles personnel records for all the other agencies.  In proper 21^st-century context, the Pearl Harbor sunk battle fleet metaphor is apt and illuminating.  Repairing the damage will take massive effort over years if ever to recover security for government personnel against selection for attack, hacking, identity theft, disinformation, coercion, temptation, etc., etc.

This occurred right under the noses of OPM and DHS management officials, blatantly unqualified political appointees, demonstrably too inept to lead a recovery effort.  Yet President Obama sees nothing amiss.  When reading this essay, recall the Democratic Party slogan: “Government is simply the name we give to the things we choose to do together.”