# Pentagon notifies millions of exposed personal data

_Published Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 8:46 AM EDT · Security · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

![Pentagon notifies millions of exposed personal data — Primary](https://img.helpnetsecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25185231/data_breach-1500.webp)

The Pentagon's Defense Manpower Data Center is notifying people that unauthorized users accessed files containing unencrypted personal information. The breach affects 2.76 million living individuals and 294,000 deceased individuals, a Defense Department official told CNN.

Notification letters say access occurred between October 2025 and July 16, 2026, when DMDC discovered a vulnerability in its file sharing system. Exposed information varied by person and included Social Security numbers paired with names, birth dates and other personal details.

DMDC says it has no indications of misuse and is offering affected individuals 12 months of credit monitoring through IDX.

## Sources

- [Help Net Security](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/10/01/pentagon-dmdc-data-breach-3-million-people/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/TattfL3WhMeieD1dw3957T
Published: 2026-10-01T12:46:57.801Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-01T12:21:03.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-01T15:19:40.910Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)