Data hacked from U.S. government dates back to 1985: U.S. official

By Andrea Shalal and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Data stolen from U.S. government computers by suspected Chinese hackers included security clearance information and background checks dating back three decades, U.S. officials said on Friday, underlining the scope of one of the largest known cyber attacks on federal networks. A total of 2.1 million current U.S. government workers were affected, according to a source familiar with the FBI-led investigation into the incident. Accusations by U.S. government sources of a Chinese role in the cyber attack, including possible state sponsorship, could further strain ties between Washington and Beijing.

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