Pentagon’s DMDC Breach Exposes Unencrypted Data of Millions of Troops
A nine-month-long data breach at the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) exposed the unencrypted personal information, including Social Security numbers, of potentially four million current and former US military personnel. The intrusion began in October 2025 but was not discovered until July 2026. While the Pentagon states there is no evidence of data misuse, experts warn the exposed 'occupational specialty' data could aid foreign adversaries in targeting US troops, particularly amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
