Phoenix Art Museum Discloses Data Breach Impacting Personal Information
The Phoenix Art Museum, the largest art institution in the southwestern U.S., recently reported a data breach involving unauthorized access to its network. The incident was disclosed to the Maine Attorney General on April 15, 2026, with two Maine residents confirmed as affected.
The breach was first detected on December 8, 2025, when the museum identified unauthorized access to its systems. A subsequent investigation revealed that the initial intrusion occurred on December 3, 2025. On February 12, 2026, the ransomware group Rhysida claimed responsibility for the attack, threatening to publish stolen data within a week.
A review of the accessed files concluded on March 20, 2026, determining that personally identifiable information (PII) including names and Social Security numbers had been exposed. Affected individuals were notified via first-class mail starting April 15, 2026.
In response, the museum is offering complimentary one-year credit monitoring and identity protection services through Epiq Privacy Solutions ID, including:
- Three-bureau credit monitoring (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)
- Annual credit reports and scores
- Social Security number and dark web monitoring
- Identity restoration services
- Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance (with a $0 deductible)
- Unauthorized electronic funds transfer reimbursement (up to $1 million)
Affected individuals can enroll using an activation code provided in their notification letter. For assistance, a dedicated response line (844-558-4691) is available, along with direct support from Epiq (866-675-2006). The museum can also be reached at 602-257-1880.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/data-breach/phoenix-art-museum-2026
Phoenix Art Museum cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/phoenix-art-museum
"id": "PHO1776357440",
"linkid": "phoenix-art-museum",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "12/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'At least 2 confirmed (Maine '
'residents), likely more',
'industry': 'Arts and Culture',
'location': 'Southwestern U.S.',
'name': 'Phoenix Art Museum',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Art Institution'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unauthorized network access',
'customer_advisories': 'Credit monitoring and identity protection services '
'offered to affected individuals',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Names, Social '
'Security numbers',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Social Security numbers, names)',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personally identifiable '
'information (PII)'},
'date_detected': '2025-12-08',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-04-15',
'description': 'The Phoenix Art Museum disclosed a data breach involving '
'unauthorized access to its network, resulting in the exposure '
'of personally identifiable information (PII) including names '
'and Social Security numbers. The ransomware group Rhysida '
'claimed responsibility for the attack.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Personally identifiable information (PII), '
'including names and Social Security numbers',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High'},
'investigation_status': 'Concluded (as of March 20, 2026)',
'motivation': 'Data exfiltration, Ransom demand',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes', 'ransomware_strain': 'Rhysida'},
'references': [{'source': 'Phoenix Art Museum Data Breach Notification'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Disclosed to Maine '
'Attorney General'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'First-class mail notifications, '
'dedicated response line',
'third_party_assistance': 'Epiq Privacy Solutions ID'},
'threat_actor': 'Rhysida',
'title': 'Phoenix Art Museum Data Breach',
'type': 'Data Breach, Ransomware'}