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| Millions of US government workers hit by data breach | Millions of US government workers hit by data breach |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Chinese hackers are suspected of carrying out a "massive breach" affecting the data of millions of US government workers, officials said. | |
| The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed on Thursday that almost four million current and past employees have been affected. | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed on Thursday that almost four million current and past employees have been affected. |
| The breach could potentially affect every federal agency, officials said. | The breach could potentially affect every federal agency, officials said. |
| Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Chinese hackers were behind the attack. | Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Chinese hackers were behind the attack. |
| OPM serves as the human resource department for the federal government. | OPM serves as the human resource department for the federal government. |
| The agency issues security clearances and compiles records of all federal government employees. | |
| Information stored on OPM databases include employee job assignments, performance reviews, and training, according to officials. | Information stored on OPM databases include employee job assignments, performance reviews, and training, according to officials. |
| The breach did not involve background checks and clearance investigations, officials said. | The breach did not involve background checks and clearance investigations, officials said. |
| Mrs Collins called the breach "yet another indication of a foreign power probing successfully and focusing on what appears to be data that would identify people with security clearances." | Mrs Collins called the breach "yet another indication of a foreign power probing successfully and focusing on what appears to be data that would identify people with security clearances." |
| 'Perilously overdue' | 'Perilously overdue' |
| Using a new cyber security system known as Einstein, the OPM detected a "cyber-intrusion" in April 2015. The FBI said it is investigating the breach. | Using a new cyber security system known as Einstein, the OPM detected a "cyber-intrusion" in April 2015. The FBI said it is investigating the breach. |
| Ken Ammon, chief strategy officer of Xceedium - a cyber security firm - warned that the hacked data could be used to impersonate or blackmail federal employees with access to sensitive information. | |
| Congressman Adam Schiff has called for cyber databases to be upgraded in light of the most recent attack. | Congressman Adam Schiff has called for cyber databases to be upgraded in light of the most recent attack. |
| Americans "expect that federal computer networks are maintained with state of the art defences", Mr Schiff said. | Americans "expect that federal computer networks are maintained with state of the art defences", Mr Schiff said. |
| "The cyber threat from hackers, criminals, terrorists and state actors is one of the greatest challenges we face on a daily basis, and it's clear that a substantial improvement in our cyber databases and defences is perilously overdue." | |
| In November 2014, a hack exposed files belonging to 25,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as thousands of other federal employees. | In November 2014, a hack exposed files belonging to 25,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as thousands of other federal employees. |