A recent hack into the computer systems of a company that performs background checks for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security compromised data of at least 25,000 government workers, an agency official said on Friday. The official says the estimate of Homeland Security employees affected by the breach at Falls Church, Virginia-based US Investigations Services (USIS) may rise further. The company disclosed the attack earlier this month, but did not say how many records had been compromised. It did say the intrusion has "all the markings of a state-sponsored attack."
Security experts say the attack was particularly disturbing because files on background checks typically contain highly personal data that foreign intelligence agencies could attempt to exploit to intimidate government workers with access to classified information. Homeland Security has suspended all work with USIS since the breach was disclosed. The FBI is investigating.
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