People Encouraging People Data Breach Affects Thousands of Clients

Published

October 1, 2025

Updated

October 1, 2025

People Encouraging People

Types of INFORMATION affected

Names
Social Security Numbers
Dates of Birth
Addresses
Government IDs
Medical Info
Financial Info

People Encouraging People, a mental health care provider based in Maryland, experienced a data breach. On or about Dec. 21, 2024, the organization detected suspicious activity within it's computer network, including including unauthorized encryption of certain data. An investigation revealed that between Dec. 18, 2024 and Dec. 23, 2024, a cybercriminal copied and obtained files containing sensitive data.

A review determined that the cyberattack compromised both both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) belonging to People Encouraging People patients. Exposed information included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver license numbers, financial account information, diagnosis information, medication information, and treatment information.

This type of data breach puts affected individuals at risk for identity theft and medical fraud. People Encouraging People disclosed the cybersecurity incident to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 19, 2025. The company also published a Notice of Data Privacy Event on its website.

People Encouraging People's response

Upon discovering the unauthorized activity, the healthcare organization acted to secure and restore its systems. In addition to required state and federal disclosures, People Encouraging People is notifying impacted individuals by mail.

If you believe your personal information may have been compromised in this breach:

Carefully review any notice or communication you receive from People Encouraging People.
Monitor financial accounts and credit reports for signs of identity theft.
Consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with the major credit bureaus.
Be cautious of unsolicited emails or phone calls requesting personal information.

The company also established a dedicated assistance line for impacted patients with questions at 833-456-5078, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

More information about People Encouraging People can be found on their official website.

Protect Your Data

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.