Pentagon ignored cybersecurity flaws before data breach, Marines’ lawsuit says

Two Marines filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Pentagon following a Defense Manpower Data Center breach that reportedly exposed millions of personal records. The complaint alleges that a file-sharing vulnerability left unencrypted information, including names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth, accessible for months despite earlier cybersecurity warnings. The plaintiffs say they suffered fraudulent charges and increased unwanted communications, and accuse the department of inadequate safeguards and delayed notification. These are allegations in ongoing litigation rather than judicial findings, and the case concerns personnel-data protection rather than an intrusion into combat networks.