Chinese government has arrested hackers it says breached OPM database

The Chinese government recently arrested a handful of hackers it says were connected to the breach of Office of Personnel Management’s database earlier in 2015, a mammoth break-in that exposed the records of more than 22 million current and former federal employees. The arrests took place shortly before a state visit in late September by China President Xi Jinping, and US officials say they appear to have been carried out in an effort to lessen tensions with Washington. The identities of the suspects -- and whether they have any connection to the Chinese government -- remain unclear.

If the individuals detained were indeed the hackers, the arrests would mark the first measure of accountability for what has been characterized as one of the most devastating breaches of US government data in history. But officials said it has been difficult so far to independently confirm whether the people rounded up were actually connected to the OPM breach.