Internal Revenue Service says cyber attacks were extensive: WSJ

Computer keyboard letters stacked in the word 'pass' are placed on the plate of integrated circuit in this illustration picture taken in Warsaw, December 13, 2013. Picture taken December 13, 2013.

/Kacper Pempel

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said Monday a hacking attack into one of its computer databases that was revealed in May was much more extensive than previously reported, the Wall Street Journal said.The IRS said in late May the tax return information of about 100,000 U.S. taxpayers had been illegally accessed by cyber criminals over the preceding four months. The Wall Street Journal report said that on Monday, the agency said an additional 390,000 taxpayers were potentially affected. (Reporting by Emily Stephenson and Sandra Maler; Editing by Bernadette Baum)