I don't know if "suddenly" is the most accurate word. This attack originated in May 2014 and was identified sometime in mid 2015. https://www.opm.gov/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-incidents/

The crazy thing to me was that the 2015 discovery was reportedly [1] due to a "product demo".

Of course, I expect that the company was entirely legitimate, but running an intrusion detection company would apparently be great cover for gaining free vulnerability scans of potential targets.

[1] http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/06/report-hack-of-gover...

That is light speed as far as the government is concerned.

You couldn't get an FOIA answered in that time period.

As luck would have it, that's what the Oversight committee is talking about today: https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/examining-foia-complianc...

Note: Sure, politicians move very quickly when politics are involved.

FOIA aren't exactly something the government cares about, don't think that's an apt comparison

"they"

> As the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, we will work with our colleagues in the minority to exercise effective oversight over the federal government and will work proactively to investigate and expose waste, fraud, and abuse.

Have you tried asking them nicely?