The internal records of as many as 25,000 employees of America’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were exposed during a recent computer hack at a federal contractor that handles security clearances, an agency official said on Friday.

The official, speaking anonymously, said the number of victims could be greater. The incident is under active federal criminal investigation.

The department was informing employees whose files were exposed in the hacking against contractor USIS and warning them to monitor their financial accounts.

Earlier this month, USIS acknowledged the break-in, saying its internal cybersecurity team had detected what appeared to be an intrusion with “all the markings of a state-sponsored attack”.

Neither USIS nor government officials have speculated on the identity of the foreign government.

Read the Full Article: Source – The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/23/homeland-security-25000-employees-hacked

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