In 2024, bakery and café chain **Panera** faced a significant data breach exposing sensitive customer information, including **Social Security numbers**. The breach led to a **$2.5 million class-action settlement** (Case: 4:24-cv-00847-HEA) after plaintiffs alleged the company failed to implement adequate cybersecurity measures. Affected individuals—those notified on **March 23, 2024**—could claim up to **$500** for ordinary expenses or **$6,500** for extraordinary losses, with California residents eligible for an additional **$100 statutory payment**. The breach underscored vulnerabilities in Panera’s data protection, resulting in potential **identity theft, financial fraud, and legal repercussions** for victims. While Panera denied wrongdoing, the settlement required **documented proof of losses** (e.g., bank statements) and offered a **November 11, 2025, deadline** for claims. The incident highlights the growing risk of **large-scale customer data exposure** due to inadequate cybersecurity in digitalized business operations.
Source: https://www.ecoticias.com/en/claim-up-to-6500-data-breach-settlement/23076/
Manna Development Group LLC, Franchisee of Panera Bread cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/manna-development-group-llc
"id": "man1332213111125",
"linkid": "manna-development-group-llc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2024",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Class members notified on March '
'23, 2024 (exact number '
'unspecified)',
'industry': 'Food & Beverage / Retail',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Panera Bread',
'type': 'Bakery and Cafe Chain'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Customers advised to submit claims by November 11, '
'2025, with documentation (e.g., bank/credit card '
'statements) to receive compensation. California '
'residents eligible for additional $100 statutory '
'payment.',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (data exposed to unauthorized '
'third parties)',
'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes SSNs)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers',
'Potentially other personally '
'identifiable information '
'(PII)']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-03-23',
'description': 'A data breach at bakery and cafe chain Panera exposed '
'sensitive client information, including Social Security '
'numbers, leading to a $2.5 million class-action settlement. '
'The breach prompted allegations that Panera failed to '
'implement adequate cybersecurity measures to protect consumer '
'data. Eligible class members (those notified on March 23, '
'2024) can claim compensation for ordinary ($500) or '
'extraordinary ($6,500) losses, with California residents '
'eligible for an additional $100 statutory payment. The final '
'claim submission deadline is November 11, 2025, with a final '
'approval hearing scheduled for January 29, 2026.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative (public disclosure, lawsuit, '
'settlement)',
'customer_complaints': 'Class-action lawsuit filed (Case: '
'4:24-cv-00847-HEA)',
'data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers',
'Potentially other sensitive client '
'information'],
'financial_loss': '$2.5 million (settlement amount)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (exposure of SSNs)',
'legal_liabilities': '$2.5 million settlement; potential '
'regulatory scrutiny'},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Customer PII (e.g., Social '
'Security numbers)']},
'investigation_status': 'Settled (class-action lawsuit resolved with $2.5 '
'million payout; final approval hearing scheduled for '
'January 29, 2026)',
'lessons_learned': 'Companies must implement robust cybersecurity measures to '
'protect sensitive customer data, particularly Social '
'Security numbers and other PII. Failure to do so can '
'result in costly class-action lawsuits, reputational '
'damage, and financial settlements. Proactive '
'communication with affected customers and regulatory '
'bodies is critical in mitigating fallout from such '
'incidents.',
'motivation': ['Financial Gain', 'Data Theft'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['$2.5 million settlement to '
'compensate affected class '
'members.',
'Likely internal reviews '
'and updates to '
'cybersecurity policies '
'(details unspecified).',
'Public accountability '
'through legal proceedings '
'and settlement terms.'],
'root_causes': ['Inadequate cybersecurity measures '
'to protect sensitive customer '
'data',
'Potential failure to implement '
'industry-standard safeguards '
'(e.g., encryption, access '
'controls)']},
'recommendations': ['Enhance data encryption and access controls for '
'sensitive customer information (e.g., SSNs).',
'Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and regular '
'security audits.',
'Develop and test an incident response plan to ensure '
'swift action in the event of a breach.',
'Provide credit monitoring or identity theft protection '
'services to affected customers as part of remediation '
'efforts.',
'Ensure compliance with data protection regulations '
'(e.g., GDPR, CCPA) to avoid legal repercussions.'],
'references': [{'source': 'U.S. District Court Case: 4:24-cv-00847-HEA'},
{'source': 'Panera Bread Data Breach Settlement Notice (March '
'23, 2024)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': '$2.5 million (settlement, not a '
'regulatory fine)',
'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuit (Case: '
'4:24-cv-00847-HEA in the U.S. '
'District Court)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notification letters sent to affected '
'customers (March 23, 2024); public '
'settlement announcement',
'recovery_measures': '$2.5 million settlement for affected class '
'members'},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Class members notified via mail (March 23, 2024) '
'with instructions for claiming compensation. '
'Public advisories likely issued through Panera’s '
'corporate communications channels.',
'title': 'Panera Bread Data Breach (2024)',
'type': ['Data Breach', 'Class Action Lawsuit']}