Iroquois Memorial Hospital Hit by Ransomware Attack, Exposing Data of 621 Individuals
Iroquois Memorial Hospital, a community acute care facility in Watseka, Illinois, reported a data breach on January 9, 2026, affecting 621 individuals across the U.S. The incident stemmed from a ransomware attack by the cybercriminal group PEAR, which claimed to have exfiltrated sensitive data and posted it on the dark web on December 11, 2025.
The hospital, which serves residents in Illinois and Indiana with emergency, inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care services, disclosed that protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) may have been accessed or stolen. Specific details about the compromised data have not been publicly released.
Federal filings indicate the breach poses risks of identity theft and financial fraud for affected individuals. Legal firms, including Shamis & Gentile P.A., are investigating potential compensation claims for victims, citing damages such as lost time, expenses, and emotional distress. The investigation remains ongoing.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/iroquois-memorial-hospital-data-breach-2026
Iroquois Memorial Hospital cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/iroquois-memorial-hospital
"id": "IRO1770230720",
"linkid": "iroquois-memorial-hospital",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '621',
'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Watseka, Illinois, USA',
'name': 'Iroquois Memorial Hospital',
'type': 'Hospital'}],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
'number_of_records_exposed': '621',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Protected health information '
'(PHI)',
'Personally identifiable '
'information (PII)']},
'date_detected': '2025-12-11',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-01-09',
'description': 'Iroquois Memorial Hospital, a community acute care facility '
'in Watseka, Illinois, reported a data breach stemming from a '
'ransomware attack by the cybercriminal group PEAR, which '
'exposed data of 621 individuals. The attackers claimed to '
'have exfiltrated sensitive data and posted it on the dark '
'web.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Protected health information (PHI) and '
'personally identifiable information (PII)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'Yes',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential compensation claims for victims'},
'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Yes'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes'},
'references': [{'source': 'Federal filings'},
{'source': 'Shamis & Gentile P.A.'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Potential compensation claims by '
'Shamis & Gentile P.A.'},
'threat_actor': 'PEAR',
'title': 'Iroquois Memorial Hospital Ransomware Attack',
'type': 'Ransomware'}