identity to include regularly changing and safeguarding online passwords, upgrading security
scans to keeps computers protected from viruses. However, personal and sensitive information
exists online, and it is vulnerable even when safety measures are in place. This vulnerability led
to a compromise of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) database and sensitive
information was obtained by unauthorized sources. Living in the information age is exciting and
convenient. People can sit at their computers and conduct research without ever having to
consult a print-version encyclopedia, shop without ever having to leave the comforts of their …show more content…
Identifying quality reporting about
the OPM hack was the key factor in eliminating the "noise" on the Internet. Advocating qualitative research on how OPM may have been hacked shows the dynamic
nature of qualitative research. Structured survey is a huge part of qualitative research.
Furthermore, using every opportunity to investigate reports about the OPM hack will help us
understand how people behaved prior to the hack. Qualitative research enabled researchers to
go beyond initial responses and inconsistent rationales. Part of this research paper is an
interview conducted of one of the victims of the hack whose information was part of the
compromised data from the OPM database. The hackers success in infiltrating the OPM database
showed vulnerabilities within the system. The OPM breach was motivated by highly dedicated
adversaries that may receive and recruit sources from within. Larger organizations are prone to
attacks similar to the OPM hack due to its size and anomalies in the system. Hackers often
monitor online and system activity that can be identified through operational patterns. Human
behavior played a major role in a systematic approach that hackers used to detect