The director of the US Office of Personnel Management resigned Friday after a devastating hack of government databases that saw the personal information of millions of federal workers and contractors stolen.

"I conveyed to the president that I believe it is best for me to step aside and allow new leadership to step in, enabling the agency to move beyond the current challenges," OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said in a statement.

A White House official said President Barack Obama had "accepted her resignation and thanked her for her years of dedicated service."