Firm That Does Background Checks for Homeland Security Has Been Hacked
U.S. Investigation Services (USIS), a contracting company for the United States Department of Homeland Security, has been hacked. The company was responsible for running background checks for the Department of Homeland Security, meaning the e-thieves got away with personal data about employees at the nation's top level of security intelligence. USIS is the primary background check service for the federal government.
As the FBI investigates, the Department of Homeland Security will halt working with USIS. Thus far, it has been determined that the hack "has all the markings of a state-sponsored attack," according to a statement by the company.
"At this time, our forensic analysis has concluded that some DHS personnel may have been affected, and DHS has notified its entire workforce, out of an abundance of caution, to advise them to monitor their financial accounts for suspicious activity," said DHS spokesperson Peter Boogaard.
Though this was a serious hack, the Office of Personnel Management believes the criminals were unable to access the information of non-DHS employees.
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This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/technology/2014/08/homeland-securitys-background-checking-firm-has-been-hacked/375713/
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