Chinese hackers are believed to have reportedly breached the personal data of at least four million current and former U.S. federal employees, officials in Washington are claiming.
Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was quoted, as saying that the cyber attack appears to have originated in China.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said that the breach could impact every federal agency, reports the BBC.
The hack attack is being dubbed as the biggest breach ever of the government's computer networks.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Washington has warned against "jumping to conclusions," saying that the accusations were not just irresponsible but also counterproductive.
