Last month, I reviewed the cybersecurity incident reports from Pennsylvania and surrounding areas, and what I found should concern every small business owner in the region. We’re not talking about theoretical threats or scare tactics here. These are real businesses, real cyber attacks, and real consequences that happened right in our backyard between January and June 2025.
Here’s what really gets me about these cases. Every single one of them was preventable with the right cybersecurity measures in place. But instead of investing in protection, these organizations are now dealing with massive cleanup costs, reputation damage, and in some cases, potential business closure.
The Local Threat Landscape. Pennsylvania Under Attack
The data shows that Pennsylvania and surrounding areas are experiencing a significant uptick in targeted cyber attacks. From government entities to professional services firms, criminals are systematically targeting organizations that they perceive as having valuable data but limited security resources.
What’s particularly concerning is the extended detection times. In several cases, cyber attacks went undetected for months, allowing cyber criminals to establish persistence and exfiltrate massive amounts of sensitive data.
5 Real Pennsylvania Cyber Attack Case Studies
1. Union County, Pennsylvania. Government Ransomware Attack
The Target: Union County government with approximately 40,000 residents
Discovery Date: March 13, 2025
Attack Type: Ransomware cyber attack
How It Happened: The ransomware successfully infiltrated the county’s network systems and exfiltrated sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers of residents involved with county services.
The Response: The county immediately launched an investigation, brought in cybersecurity experts, alerted federal law enforcement, and implemented security tool changes.
Business Impact: The county had to provide written notices to all affected individuals and offer complimentary credit monitoring services. While exact costs weren’t disclosed, the incident required significant resources for forensic investigation, security upgrades, and ongoing notification processes.
What You Can Learn: Even government entities with IT resources can be compromised. The key lesson is having an incident response plan ready and the ability to quickly engage cybersecurity experts.
2. Penn Station Restaurant Chain. Point-of-Sale System Breach
The Target: Penn Station Inc. restaurant chain
Affected Locations: 80 franchise locations across multiple states, including Pennsylvania
Discovery Date: Late April 2025
Attack Type: Point of sale processing cyber attack
How It Happened: The security incident compromised credit and debit card processing systems, potentially exposing cardholder names and card numbers.
The Response: Penn Station immediately changed their credit and debit card processing methods, hired forensic experts, and worked with Heartland Payment Systems and the Secret Service.
Business Impact: The breach initially affected 43 locations but expanded to 80 restaurants across 11 states. The company provided complimentary identity protection services and maintained a FAQ section for concerned customers.
What You Can Learn: Point of sale systems are prime targets. Regular security updates and monitoring of payment processing systems are critical for any business handling customer payment data.
3. Pennsylvania State Education Association. Massive Union Data Breach
The Target: PSEA, Pennsylvania’s largest public employee union
Affected Individuals: Approximately 500,000 people
Attack Type: Network infiltration and data theft
How It Happened: Hackers gained unauthorized access to sensitive files stored on PSEA’s network systems, with the breach going undetected for several months.
The Response: PSEA initiated incident response procedures and began notifying affected members.
Business Impact: The compromised data included full names, Social Security numbers, home addresses, and financial account details of union members. Given the scale, the breach likely resulted in substantial costs for credit monitoring services, legal fees, and potential regulatory fines.
What You Can Learn: Large databases of personal information are incredibly valuable to criminals. Organizations holding sensitive member or customer data need robust monitoring systems to detect unauthorized access quickly.
4. Carpenter, McCadden & Lane Law Firm. LockBit Ransomware Cyber Attack
The Target: Pennsylvania-based defense law firm specializing in workers’ compensation
Discovery Date: January 31, 2025 (attack occurred April 2024)
Affected Individuals: 7,900 people
Attack Type: LockBit 3.0 ransomware cyber attack
How It Happened: Unauthorized actors gained access to the company’s computer network on April 25 and April 30, 2024. The LockBit 3.0 group claimed responsibility and published the firm’s data on the dark web on August 25, 2024.
The Response: CML secured its network, launched an investigation with cybersecurity specialists, reported to federal law enforcement, and began notifying affected individuals via mail on February 27, 2025.
Business Impact: The breach exposed sensitive personal information including employee data, client information, and scanned payment documents. The firm offered 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring services. The 11-month delay between breach occurrence and discovery likely compounded the financial and reputational damage.
What You Can Learn: The detection delay is the real killer here. Nearly a year went by before they realized they’d been compromised. This highlights the critical importance of continuous monitoring and threat detection.
5. Legacy Professionals LLP. Accounting Firm Ransomware
The Target: Accounting firm based in Illinois serving Pennsylvania clients
Discovery Date: January 31, 2025 (cyber attack occurred April 2024)
Affected Individuals: 216,752 individuals
Attack Type: LockBit 3.0 ransomware cyber attack
How It Happened: Unauthorized actors gained network access on April 25 and April 30, 2024, using LockBit 3.0 ransomware. The group published stolen data on the dark web on August 25, 2024.
The Response: Legacy Professionals secured systems, launched an investigation with cybersecurity specialists, reported to federal law enforcement, and sent notifications to affected consumers on February 27, 2025.
Business Impact: The breach exposed sensitive personal information of clients across multiple states. The firm offered 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring services. Given their specialization in audit, accounting, tax, and payroll services, the breach likely resulted in substantial client trust issues and regulatory scrutiny.
What You Can Learn: Professional services firms are particularly attractive targets because they hold comprehensive financial and personal data for multiple clients.
Common Cyber Attack Patterns and Red Flags
Looking at these cases, several critical patterns emerge.
Extended Detection Times: Multiple attacks went undetected for months, allowing attackers to establish persistence and exfiltrate more data.
LockBit 3.0 Dominance: The LockBit ransomware variant appeared in multiple cases, showing how successful cyber attack methods get replicated.
Professional Services Targeting: Law firms and accounting practices were specifically targeted, likely due to the sensitive client data they maintain.
Delayed Discovery Impact: The significant delays between breach occurrence and discovery highlight the need for better detection capabilities.
The Real Costs. What These Cyber Attacks Actually Cost
While exact financial figures weren’t always disclosed, we can estimate the costs based on industry averages:
- Forensic Investigation: $50,000 to $200,000 per incident
- Legal Fees: $100,000 to $500,000 depending on scope
- Credit Monitoring Services: $15 to $25 per affected individual annually
- Regulatory Fines: Varies by industry and compliance requirements
- Business Disruption: $25,620 per hour of downtime on average
- Reputation Management: Ongoing costs that can impact revenue for years
For the PSEA breach affecting 500,000 people, credit monitoring alone could cost $7.5 million annually.
What This Means for Your Pennsylvania Business
These cyber attacks didn’t happen to faceless corporations in distant cities. They happened to organizations right here in Pennsylvania, serving people in our communities. If you’re thinking your business is too small or too local to be targeted, these cases prove otherwise.
The criminals don’t care about your company size. They care about your data value and your security posture. And right now, many Pennsylvania small businesses are walking around with a target on their backs.
Your Action Plan
Don’t wait until you’re writing the next case study. In my final article of this series, I’ll show you exactly how to defend against these specific cyber attack methods with practical, budget-friendly solutions that actually work.
Book a 15-minute AI & Cyber Strategy Call to discuss your specific vulnerabilities and how to address them before you become the next cautionary tale.
FAQ
Q: Are these attacks specifically targeting Pennsylvania businesses?
These attacks are part of broader criminal campaigns, but Pennsylvania businesses are being caught up because they often have valuable data with limited security resources compared to larger metropolitan areas.
Q: How long does it typically take to recover from these types of attacks?
Recovery can take anywhere from weeks to months, depending on the scope of the breach and the organization’s preparedness. The case studies show that notification processes alone can take several months.
Q: What should I do if I think my business might have been compromised?
Immediately disconnect affected systems from the network, contact a cybersecurity professional, preserve evidence, and prepare to notify law enforcement and potentially affected customers or clients. Reach out to your Cybersecurity Insurance provider.
Sources
- https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2025/03/25/817037.htm
- https://therecord.media/union-county-pennsylvania-ransomware-attack
- https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/penn-station-card-breach-grows-a-4862
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/major-data-breaches-hacking-news-april-2025-idseal-ngs9f
- https://cybernews.com/privacy/law-firm-data-breach-thousands-exposed/
- https://straussborrelli.com/2025/06/04/carpenter-mccadden-lane-data-breach-investigation/
- https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/legacy-professionals-llp-data-breach
