Federal database shut down after breach; Union sues feds over hack

The Office of Personnel Management has shut down a massive database after discovering a new flaw that left the system vulnerable to breaches.

The shutdown comes on the same day the government was sued for the massive hacking scandal.

The eQip system, used for background investigations for employees and contractors, will be down between 4 to 6 weeks.

The federal employee union's lawsuit claims OPM had been warned for years that its data security was suspect but it failed to take appropriate steps to safeguard employee information.

Around eighteen million current and former employees or contractors have been affected.