On September 3, 2025, Tri-Century Eye Care, an ophthalmology practice in Pennsylvania, detected suspicious network activity. A subsequent investigation confirmed a PEAR ransomware attack that compromised personal and protected health information (PHI) of both patients and employees. The breach exposed highly sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical/health records, health insurance details, billing/payment information, and tax/financial data. The ransomware group exfiltrated files before encrypting systems, posing severe risks such as identity theft, financial fraud, and exposure of confidential medical histories. While the exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed, the incident involved current and former patients and employees, amplifying the scope. The company responded by securing its environment, engaging cybersecurity experts, notifying law enforcement, and implementing stricter security measures like access restrictions, password policies, and offline data storage. The breach’s fallout extends beyond financial and reputational damage, as victims face long-term vulnerabilities from exposed PHI, including potential medical identity fraud and targeted scams. The involvement of a known ransomware group further escalates the threat severity, given their history of exploiting stolen data for extortion or sale on dark web markets.