Pentagon personnel database breach puts nearly 3 million people's data at risk

A Pentagon personnel database breach put sensitive data belonging to nearly 3 million people with military ties at risk. The incident affected 2.76 million living people and 294,000 deceased individuals. ABC News reported that unauthorized users accessed unencrypted information held by the Defense Manpower Data Center. The exposed information included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, contact details and military occupational specialties. A US defense official said a small number of unauthorized users accessed the system between October 2025 and July 2026. A notification letter said the hackers exploited a security vulnerability in a file-sharing system. The official said the Defense Manpower Data Center fixed the vulnerability upon discovery. The file-sharing system has since been secured and restored. Affected individuals are being offered 12 months of credit monitoring and identity protection services through IDX.