Pentagon Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of 2.76 Million Military and Civilian Personnel
Unencrypted files containing Social Security numbers and employment details were accessed by unauthorized users.
A significant data breach within the Pentagon has exposed sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers, for 2.76 million living U.S. military and civilian personnel, as well as 294,000 deceased individuals. The breach, confirmed by a Pentagon official, involved unauthorized access to unencrypted files between October 2025 and July 2026.
The compromised data also includes military or civilian employment information. The Defense Manpower Data Center discovered the vulnerability in a file-sharing system on July 16. Affected individuals were notified on September 18.
The Pentagon stated that there is currently no indication that the accessed information has been misused. The breach underscores ongoing concerns about the security of sensitive personnel data within government systems. The Pentagon has not released further details on the specific file-sharing system that was compromised or the methods used by the unauthorized users.