Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a leading data breach law firm, is investigating People Encouraging People (“PEP”) regarding its recent data breach. The PEP data breach involved sensitive personal information and protected health information belonging to over 13,000 individuals.
ABOUT PEOPLE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE:
PEP is a non-profit behavioral healthcare corporation based in Maryland. Founded in 1979, PEP provides a wide range of services, from rehabilitation to assistance for the deaf and blind, to residential and vocational ventures aimed at assimilating its clients into the community.2 Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, PEP employs over 50 individuals and has six additional locations in Maryland.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Recently, PEP announced that it had experienced a data breach in which sensitive personal identifiable information and protected health information in its care may have been compromised. According to the breach notice shared on its website, on or around December 21, 2024, PEP became aware of unauthorized activity on its computer network.1 As a result, PEP launched an investigation to determine the nature of the incident.
Through its investigation, PEP confirmed that sensitive personal information in its systems may have been accessed and acquired by an unauthorized third party between December 18 and December 23, 2024. As a result, PEP began a review of the data to determine what information had been impacted as well as identify the specific individuals affected. While the information impacted varies depending on the individual, the type of information potentially exposed includes:
- Name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Address
- Driver’s license number
- Financial account information
- Medical information (e.g., diagnosis information, medication information, treatment information)
As a result of the breach, PEP posted notice of the breach on its website. Additionally, PEP filed an official notice of the data with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights on September 19, 2025.4 Based on the website breach notice, PEP is providing affected individuals with a list of the specific types of sensitive information impacted. A link to the website breach notice is below.
If you believe you have been affected by the People Encouraging People breach:
We would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies in response to this data breach. Please fill out the form, below, or contact us at 872.263.1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com.
