FBI and Pentagon Experience Data Breaches

<figure><img alt="Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/IR3LC3D4NFBRNFGBN6HDIDG3D4.jpg?auth=782a51e890ada48bbbbcd6079f941c88177c3045c987b9ebacd26c9ad4bb712a&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1920&amp;height=1081" /><figcaption>Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images/Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>FBI Director Kash Patel and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s workplaces have each experienced a data breach.</p><p>On September 25, 2026, new details emerged about information obtained from the FBI’s servers by the hacking group ShinyHunters, a breach that was first reported earlier that week.</p><p>Among the files in the alleged two to three terabytes of data, Reuters reported, are medical and psychiatric evaluations of FBI personnel. For example, one record noted an applicant’s aspirin usage and allergies to dust and cats, while another indicated symptoms of depression in high school. Another record contained electrocardiogram results.</p><p>The BBC reported that one record included a blood and urine test document, and another noted an individual’s shellfish and banana allergy.</p><p>The breach may attract the attention of adversaries of the U.S.</p><img alt="The FBI says it is investigating the breach of sensitive personnel data. / Kylie Cooper / REUTERS" height="3662" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/C36FBEQKTJE7HJLV3VBOMAQ7XQ.JPG?auth=2b77c5bf4fffd8c350c4d69e47a92eb7b0975ff417b6c5e55b353bb8fdf11692&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5500&amp;height=3662" width="5500" /><p>“I would be shocked if Russian intelligence isn’t knocking on their door and saying, ‘We want that stuff, hand it over,’” cybersecurity consultant and former FBI operative Eric O’Neill told Reuters.</p><p>The FBI declined to comment to Reuters, and a spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Daily Beast request for comment.</p><p>In a statement earlier this week, the bureau said it was “aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating.”</p><p>Meanwhile, a breach of the Pentagon’s human resources system has also raised concerns.</p><p>This data breach began in October 2025, according to CNN, but it was not discovered and fixed until July 2026. Unauthorized users accessed Social Security numbers and other personal information belonging to current and former personnel from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), according to a letter from DMDC to victims.</p><p>Service members’ occupational specialties were among the data points accessed. Military Times reported that up to four million individuals could have had their information exposed.</p><img alt="As many as four million Pentagon personnel could be affected by the breach. / Ken Cedeno / REUTERS" height="3667" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/TAD2KVVFPNBODDSPGVNDQ2S7AQ.JPG?auth=fc317613321c0ac4f9da8514de42d3eaaa437e09a6bc80107c322b077a2bf954&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5500&amp;height=3667" width="5500" /><p>The letter states that the Pentagon “does not have any indications of misuse” of the data, which was not encrypted. However, similar to the FBI data breach, this incident could also attract the interest of malicious foreign actors or cybercriminals.</p><p>“We are taking appropriate actions to assess and enhance the cybersecurity posture of the DMDC system,” the letter states.</p><p>The DMDC housed at least 60 million records in the 2024 fiscal year.</p><p>“The services and access to data we provide support so many vital government entities, including the legislative branch, human services, national defense, labor, healthcare, finance, veterans affairs, research, and more,” its website states.</p><p>The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN or the Daily Beast.</p><video id="3ord8zYT" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3ord8zYT/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/3ord8zYT.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-and-pentagon-pete-hit-by-twin-humiliations/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>