US fears second major breach exposed more employee data

A second major cyber breach that might reveal far more personal and damaging information appears to have hit the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

The breach was apparently carried out by hackers with connections to China and targeted a database containing copies of the government’s Standard Form 86, according to news reports citing unnamed government officials. The form, available online, is a 120-page questionnaire that’s answered by people seeking a national security clearance.

Those filling out the form are asked to provide highly personal details about their lives that go far beyond their birth dates and social security or passport numbers. Among the questions asked are details of former residences, names and addresses of neighbors and detailed information about family members.

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