Massive U.S. Government Data Breach Exposes Personal Info of 4 Million Workers

U.S. officials and government employees are a-buzz today as a massive data breach is suspected to have compromised the data of over 4 million current and former federal employees.

Reportedly, Chinese hackers are responsible for what is believed as the largest data breach over of the government's computer networks. Currently, China is calling the allegation irresponsible.

Whoever the culprit may be in this case, what is presently known is that millions of government employees may be at risk of having their personal information stolen and later used against them leading to cases of identity theft.

The FBI investigated to determine which federal agencies were affected by the breach. Initially, the breach was thought to have only impacted the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Interior. However, it is now clear that every federal government agency was attacked in an unprecedented breach that U.S. officials believe can be traced back to the Chinese government.

It is not clear as for the purposes of the data breach and use of the information overturned within the exposed database during the attack. Hackers working for the Chinese military have been suspected to compile a database of Americans, a goal that they have wanted to accomplish. Allegedly, as it turns out due to the massive data breach, this goal is closer to being fulfilled.

"Cyberattacks conducted across countries are hard to track, and therefore the source of attacks is difficult to identify. Jumping to conclusions and making hypothetical accusation is not responsible and counterproductive," said Zhu Haiquan.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that its intrusion detection system, known as Einstein, detected the breach and prompted the FBI to start investigating the fallout of the breach. As officials gather additional information of the attack many have made statements as an answer to why China is suspected to be the culprit in this large scale attack.

"It is disturbing to learn that hackers could have sensitive personal information on a huge number of current and former federal employees -- and, if media reports are correct, that information could be in the hands of China," Johnson said in a statement. "(The office) says it 'has undertaken an aggressive effort to update its cybersecurity posture.' Plainly, it must do a better job, especially given the sensitive nature of the information it holds."

Investigations continue to be conducted by the FBI and other officials. Government employees potentially affected by the breach are in the process of being notified to keep an eye on their banking accounts or use of their personal information.