The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 697, a labor union representing electricians in Lake and Newton counties, Indiana, suffered a data breach discovered on August 1, 2025. An unauthorized actor gained access to its network, compromising personally identifiable information (PII), including names and Social Security numbers (SSNs) of current and former members. The breach was confirmed on October 20, 2025, after an investigation, though the exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed.SSNs are highly sensitive, exposing victims to identity theft, financial fraud, and long-term reputational harm. The union responded by securing its network, engaging cybersecurity experts, and notifying affected individuals via mail starting November 3, 2025, along with reporting the incident to the New Hampshire Attorney General. To mitigate risks, IBEW Local 697 offered impacted members free identity theft protection services, including credit monitoring, CyberScan monitoring, $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance, and recovery assistance.The breach highlights the severe consequences of employee data exposure, particularly when critical identifiers like SSNs are involved, increasing the risk of fraudulent activities targeting union members.

The California Office of the Attorney General reported a data breach involving the NECA/IBEW Family Medical Care Plan on January 22, 2013. The breach occurred on December 28, 2012, and involved the inadvertent disclosure of members' Social Security numbers on envelopes sent to individuals. The number of individuals affected is unknown.