Horizon Media Data Breach: PHI and PII Exposed

Horizon Media, a major marketing and advertising company based in New York, has disclosed a data breach that may have exposed sensitive personal information held by the company.

On Jan. 9, 2026, Horizon Media learned that an unauthorized actor had gained access to a limited portion of its systems. Upon learning of the incident, the company began an investigation to ensure the event was contained, understand how it occurred and confirm there was no persistence of unauthorized activity.

The investigation determined that the unauthorized actor accessed a limited portion of Horizon Media's file shares on Jan. 9, 2026, and copied certain files from the system.

The company undertook a thorough review of the potentially affected data files to determine whether they contained sensitive information and to identify the individuals whose data was involved. The review was completed on April 6, 2026.

The exposed information included personally identifiable information and protected health information such as names, Social Security numbers, government ID numbers, passport numbers, financial account information and health records.

The breach was disclosed to the attorneys general offices of California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Vermont.

Horizon Media's response to the breach

Horizon Media is offering affected individuals 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity protection through Experian IdentityWorks at no cost. The program also includes Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCare, which continues to provide identity restoration assistance even after the 24-month membership period expires.

Affected individuals can enroll by visiting the Experian IdentityWorks website and entering the unique activation code included in their written notice. The enrollment deadline is Aug. 31, 2026.

Those who need help with enrollment, have questions about identity restoration or would like to speak with an Experian agent can call the dedicated assistance line at 866-579-5479, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. holidays.

Individuals with additional questions about the incident can also write to Horizon Media at Attn: HR, 75 Varick St. Fl 14, New York, NY 10013.

Steps to take if your information was exposed

• Place a credit freeze or fraud alert with Equifax (1-888-298-0045), Experian (1-888-397-3742) and TransUnion (1-833-799-5355) to help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.
• Review your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and check for any accounts or inquiries you do not recognize.
• Monitor financial accounts and benefit statements for signs of unauthorized activity, including explanation of benefits statements from health insurers for services you did not receive.
• Report suspected identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338, and consider filing a report with local law enforcement.
• Be cautious of phishing attempts that reference Horizon Media or this breach by name, as scammers sometimes use real data breach notifications to trick people into sharing additional personal information.