The personal information of up to 25,000 government workers may be at risk after U.S. Investigations Services (USIS), a Falls Church, Va.-based firm that performs background checks, was breached.
USIS announced the cybersecurity incident earlier this month, but in a recent Reuters report unidentified officials close to the investigation revealed that the breach impacted workers at the Department of Homeland Security, and its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection units.
Those affected by the breach have begun receiving notification letters which reveal that Social Security numbers, birth dates, education and criminal history, and names and addresses of relatives and friends tied to the workers may have been accessed, according to the letter obtained by Reuters.
A statement released by USIS on August 6 addressing the breach, said that the attack was believed to be state-sponsored.
