Baltimore Medical System, the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Maryland, experienced a major cyberattack. On Sept. 16, 2025, the organization was listed as a victim of the Brain Cipher ransomware group on the dark web. According to the threat actor’s posting, sensitive data belonging to the organization was exfiltrated and published on the group’s Tor-based leak site.
This type of data breach often exposes both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). Compromised information may include names, contact information, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license copies, health insurance information, medical records and payment information.
The total number of affected individuals has not been released but is believed to include several thousand patients. This type of cybersecurity incident increases the risk of identity theft, fraud, and other malicious uses of the leaked information.
Baltimore Medical System is working to identify all impacted individuals and the scope of data involved in the data breach.
Those who may be affected by this breach should remain vigilant for signs of identity theft or fraud. It is recommended to:
For more information about the healthcare organization, visit the Baltimore Medical System official site.
A breach notice means your personal details could be circulating far beyond the organization involved. One practical step is continuous monitoring: services such as Identity Defender (included with an ExpressVPN subscription) can automatically check dark-web markets, flag new credit-file activity, and request removal of your information from data-broker sites.
This kind of “early-warning system” can’t undo a breach, but it can help you spot misuse quickly and limit further exposure. ExpressVPN is offering 61% off, risk-free for 30 days, with ID Theft Insurance included and no extra cost for those who sign up for one or two years.