A massive 2024 data breach affected over 500,000 individuals tied to the Pennsylvania State Education Association, now the focus of a class-action lawsuit, according to legal filings. Victims say they weren’t notified until eight months after the breach, which compromised sensitive data like Social Security numbers and medical records.
The ransomware group Rhysida claimed responsibility. PSEA says it followed legal protocols and hired cybersecurity experts. Still, critics argue the delay in notification violated state law and exposed members to prolonged risk.
Nationwide, over 1.3 billion individuals were impacted by data breaches last year. Experts stress that education and better tech tools, like multi-factor authentication, are key to prevention in an era of large-scale cybercrime.
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