The Pentagon has ordered all military personnel to not use consumer DNA testing kits because they could 'expose sensitive genetic information to outside parties'.

According to a memo co-signed by the Pentagon's top intelligence official, genetic information collected by home-testing companies like 23andMe and Ancestry, could leave employees open to 'personal and operational risks'.

'These genetic tests are largely unregulated and could expose personal and genetic information, and potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission,' reads the memo signed by Joseph D. Kernan, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and James N. Stewart, the assistant secretary of defense for manpower.

An attendee views an Ancestry.com Inc. DNA kit at a conference in Utah in February 2017. The Pentagon has ordered all military personnel to not use consumer DNA testing kits because they could 'expose sensitive genetic information to outside parties'

The memo, seen by Yahoonews, didn't provide any additional information as to how the kits could endanger national security.

There has been a marked rise in popularity of home-testing DNA kits, where genetic information is collected using a cheek swab or saliva sample.

Companies promise to provide a unique insight into the customer's national origins. Some even offer to pinpoint the exact region their ancestors come from, rather than just a country.

An undated file photo shows an aerial image of the Pentagon in Washington DC. Ancestry companies promise to provide a unique insight into the customer's national origins. Some even offer to pinpoint the exact region their ancestors come from, rather than just a country

The sites say they can also offer analysis into potential health conditions in addition to genealogy. According to doctors they are 'unreliable' for showing predispositions to illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

Experts at Harvard Law School warned of the dangers of genetic snooping in May, saying that it was a new way to invade privacy and that a person's identity can now be pieced together with ease.

Some companies have already shared genetic data with law enforcement, according to reports.