With security experts calling it one of the largest data breaches in history, hackers have obtained personal information on over 25 million individuals through US government security clearance forms.
Investigators say that 19.7 million of those affected were those who had filed security clearance forms within the last year. 4.2 million were current and former government employees, while 2 million were relatives whose information was listed on the forms.
"It’s a huge deal," FBI Director James Comey told a Senate panel on Wednesday.
While federal authorities have accused the Chinese government of being behind the attacks, these claims have been vehemently denied by Beijing.
