Just two weeks after the Office of Personnel Management reported a cyberattack on the agency's computer system, federal officials have indicated another cyberattack targeted on intelligence and military personnel, according to a report from The Hill.
U.S. officials told The Hill Chinese hackers gained access to security clearance information by way of background check forms, including employees with the CIA, National Security Agency and the Pentagon. These forms include health information on mental illnesses and drug and alcohol use. They also include any arrests or bankruptcies.
Additionally, the forms contain information on personnel's family and friends, extending the potential reach of this data breach, according to The Hill.
Samuel Schumach, spokesman from the Office of Personnel Management said they discovered this breach of background check documents during the investigation of the first breach on the OPM.
Mr. Schumach told The Hill the agency has yet to notify personnel about the new data breach, as they are waiting to receive conclusive information about the breach.
The consequences of this cyberattack could be huge. Joel Brenner, a former top counterintelligence official for the U.S. government, told The Washington Post that this data breach "is potentially devastating from a counterintelligence point of view….These forums contain decades of personal information about people with clearnances…which makes them easier to recruit for foreign espionage on behalf of a foreign country."
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