Phoenix Art Museum Reports Access to Files Containing Eight People’s Social Security Numbers
Summary
Phoenix Art Museum said unauthorized access began Dec. 3, 2025, and files containing names and Social Security numbers of eight Maine and Massachusetts residents were identified. Rhysida claimed responsibility; the museum offered one year of monitoring.
Key points
- The museum discovered unauthorized access to some network systems on Dec. 8, 2025, and its investigation traced access to files to Dec. 3.
- On March 20, 2026, the museum confirmed that accessed files contained personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, belonging to eight people: two in Maine and six in Massachusetts.
- Rhysida claimed responsibility on Feb. 12 and threatened to publish stolen information within six to seven days; the article does not independently establish that the group exfiltrated data.
- The museum notified the two states’ attorneys general and began mailing notices to affected individuals on April 15, 2026.
- Affected individuals were offered one year of credit monitoring and identity-theft protection through Epiq Privacy Solutions, including a stated benefit of up to $1 million for unauthorized electronic fund transfers.
- The museum said it would strengthen its security systems. The article also recommends regular security reviews, penetration testing, encryption, least-privilege access, and incident-response planning.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Phoenix Art Museum
- Incident Type
- Ransomware-related unauthorized access and personal data breach
- Incident Date
- 2025-12-03
- Disclosure Date
- 2026-04-15
- Data Types Exposed
- Names
- Social Security numbers
- Affected Records
- 8 individuals: 2 Maine residents and 6 Massachusetts residents
- Ransom Or Extortion
- Rhysida claimed responsibility on 2026-02-12 and threatened to publish the stolen information within 6–7 days. No ransom demand or payment was reported.
- Claim Status
- confirmed