A critical vulnerability in a Pentagon personnel database has resulted in a massive data breach, exposing the unencrypted Social Security numbers and sensitive employment information of 2.76 million living U.S. military and civilian personnel, along with data for 294,000 deceased individuals. The breach, which occurred between October 2025 and July 2026, was discovered by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) on July 16, with affected individuals being notified starting September 18. Unauthorized users gained access to personally identifiable information through the DMDC’s file-sharing system during this nine-month window. While the DMDC has since remediated the vulnerability and the Pentagon states there is no indication of misuse, millions of individuals are now at risk of identity theft. Affected personnel are being notified via postal mail and offered credit monitoring and identity restoration services through a contracted provider, Identity Theft Guard Solutions (IDX).
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
