Company Details
pierceco-library-system
251
1,359
51912
mypcls.org
0
PIE_1528575
In-progress

Pierce County Library System Company CyberSecurity Posture
mypcls.orgThe nationally acclaimed Pierce County Library System serves 600,000 people throughout Pierce County with 19 libraries and online services. The system is the fourth largest in the state and is funded primarily through property taxes. People may choose from more than one million books, movies and other materials, as well as nearly half a million online/downloadable materials. Pierce County Library is committed to directing services in three primary areas: learning, enjoyment and community connection. Its services and programs spark success for Pierce County residents. More than a million people visit Pierce County Libraries each year. The Library provides services and programs directly to people in adult care facilities or who are homebound, and to children in child care centers and schools. Pierce County Libraries are located at Anderson Island, Bonney Lake, Buckley, DuPont, Eatonville, Fife, Gig Harbor, Graham, Key Center, Lakewood (temporarily closed), Milton/Edgewood, Orting, Parkland/Spanaway, Pierce County Library Administrative Center, South Hill, Steilacoom, Summit, Sumner, Tillicum and University Place. Pierce County Library is an independent municipal corporation and operates as a junior taxing district. Social Media Policy: https://mypcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Social-Media_20231213_Final.pdf
Company Details
pierceco-library-system
251
1,359
51912
mypcls.org
0
PIE_1528575
In-progress
Between 550 and 599

PCLS Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: The Pierce County Library System (PCLS) experienced a data breach between **April 15–21**, where unauthorized actors accessed and exfiltrated files containing **personal details (names and dates of birth) of over 335,000 individuals**. While the library claimed no evidence of misuse, plaintiffs reported **increased spam calls, texts, and emails soliciting personal data**, along with **fraudulent credit checks and compromised debit cards**. The breach led to a **class-action lawsuit** alleging negligence in security measures, with plaintiffs seeking damages and mandatory system improvements. PCLS offered **one year of free credit monitoring**, but critics deemed this insufficient. The incident highlights risks of **identity theft and long-term fraud** from exposed sensitive data, even when limited in scope. The library, Washington’s fourth-largest system, faces reputational harm and potential financial liabilities, with similar local breaches (e.g., Pierce College, Virginia Mason) resulting in multimillion-dollar settlements.
Description: The Pierce County Library System confirmed a data breach in April 2025 that compromised names and dates of birth of 336,826 people. The cyber attack disrupted many library services, including access to the library catalog, self-checkout, applications for library cards, printing, and access to library computers. Ransomware gang Inc took credit for the breach, claiming to have stolen 1.94 TB of data, including driver’s licenses, passports, and internal library documents. The attack involved ransomware, and the investigation determined unauthorized access to PCLS’ environment between April 15 and April 21, 2025. PCLS is offering eligible victims one year of free credit monitoring through IDX.


Pierce County Library System has 198.51% more incidents than the average of same-industry companies with at least one recorded incident.
Pierce County Library System has 212.5% more incidents than the average of all companies with at least one recorded incident.
Pierce County Library System reported 2 incidents this year: 0 cyber attacks, 1 ransomware, 0 vulnerabilities, 1 data breaches, compared to industry peers with at least 1 incident.
PCLS cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

The nationally acclaimed Pierce County Library System serves 600,000 people throughout Pierce County with 19 libraries and online services. The system is the fourth largest in the state and is funded primarily through property taxes. People may choose from more than one million books, movies and other materials, as well as nearly half a million online/downloadable materials. Pierce County Library is committed to directing services in three primary areas: learning, enjoyment and community connection. Its services and programs spark success for Pierce County residents. More than a million people visit Pierce County Libraries each year. The Library provides services and programs directly to people in adult care facilities or who are homebound, and to children in child care centers and schools. Pierce County Libraries are located at Anderson Island, Bonney Lake, Buckley, DuPont, Eatonville, Fife, Gig Harbor, Graham, Key Center, Lakewood (temporarily closed), Milton/Edgewood, Orting, Parkland/Spanaway, Pierce County Library Administrative Center, South Hill, Steilacoom, Summit, Sumner, Tillicum and University Place. Pierce County Library is an independent municipal corporation and operates as a junior taxing district. Social Media Policy: https://mypcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Social-Media_20231213_Final.pdf


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Court filings reveal negligence claims after a breach exposed over 335000 records at the Pierce County Library System.
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Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of Pierce County Library System is http://mypcls.org.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 570, reflecting their Very Poor security posture.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, Pierce County Library System is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,Pierce County Library System is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
Pierce County Library System operates primarily in the Libraries industry.
Pierce County Library System employs approximately 251 people worldwide.
Pierce County Library System presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
Pierce County Library System’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 1,359 followers.
Pierce County Library System is classified under the NAICS code 51912, which corresponds to Libraries and Archives.
No, Pierce County Library System does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, Pierce County Library System maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pierceco-library-system.
As of November 28, 2025, Rankiteo reports that Pierce County Library System has experienced 2 cybersecurity incidents.
Pierce County Library System has an estimated 1,268 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Breach and Ransomware.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an third party assistance with idx for free credit monitoring, and communication strategy with public notification and offering free credit monitoring, and incident response plan activated with yes (immediate investigation post-detection), and remediation measures with free credit monitoring (1 year), remediation measures with identity protection services, and communication strategy with written notices mailed to affected individuals (~july 2024), communication strategy with public notice, communication strategy with dedicated helpline (1-855-201-0132)..
Title: Pierce County Library System Data Breach
Description: A data breach occurred at the Pierce County Library System in April 2025, compromising names and dates of birth of 336,826 individuals. The breach disrupted many library services and was claimed by the Inc ransomware gang, which stole 1.94 TB of data.
Date Detected: April 2025
Date Publicly Disclosed: May 2025
Type: Ransomware
Attack Vector: Spear PhishingExploiting known vulnerabilities in software
Threat Actor: Inc Ransomware
Motivation: Financial Gain
Title: Pierce County Library System Data Breach (2024)
Description: Unauthorized access into the Pierce County Library System's network between April 15 and April 21, 2024, led to the copying and exfiltration of files containing personal details of over 335,000 individuals. The compromised data included names and dates of birth. While the library reported no evidence of misuse, two plaintiffs in a subsequent lawsuit claimed increased spam and fraudulent activity linked to the breach. A class-action lawsuit was filed in September 2024, alleging negligence in security measures and seeking damages along with enhanced security protocols.
Date Detected: 2024-04-21
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2024-07-01
Type: Data Breach
Motivation: Data TheftPotential Financial GainIdentity Fraud
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.

Data Compromised: Names, Dates of birth, Driver’s licenses, Passports, Internal library documents
Systems Affected: Library CatalogSelf-CheckoutLibrary Card ApplicationsPrintingLibrary Computers
Downtime: April and May 2025
Operational Impact: Disruption of library services

Data Compromised: Names, Dates of birth
Customer Complaints: ['Increased spam calls/texts/emails', 'Debit card fraud alerts', 'Unauthorized credit checks']
Brand Reputation Impact: Class-action lawsuitPublic distrustMedia coverage
Legal Liabilities: Class-action lawsuit (filed 2024-09-03)Allegations of negligencePotential damages and security mandates
Identity Theft Risk: ['High (combined with publicly available data)', 'Long-term monitoring required']
Payment Information Risk: ['Indirect (via linked fraud attempts)']
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Names, Dates Of Birth, Driver’S Licenses, Passports, Internal Library Documents, , Personally Identifiable Information (Pii) and .

Entity Name: Pierce County Library System
Entity Type: Public Library
Industry: Education
Location: Pierce County, Washington
Size: 19 libraries and an online catalog
Customers Affected: 336,826

Entity Name: Pierce County Library System (PCLS)
Entity Type: Public Library System
Industry: Education/Government
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Size: 4th-largest in Washington (19 locations)
Customers Affected: 335,868

Third Party Assistance: IDX for free credit monitoring
Communication Strategy: Public notification and offering free credit monitoring

Incident Response Plan Activated: Yes (immediate investigation post-detection)
Remediation Measures: Free credit monitoring (1 year)Identity protection services
Communication Strategy: Written notices mailed to affected individuals (~July 2024)Public noticeDedicated helpline (1-855-201-0132)
Incident Response Plan: The company's incident response plan is described as Yes (immediate investigation post-detection).
Third-Party Assistance: The company involves third-party assistance in incident response through IDX for free credit monitoring.

Type of Data Compromised: Names, Dates of birth, Driver’s licenses, Passports, Internal library documents
Number of Records Exposed: 336,826
Sensitivity of Data: High
Data Exfiltration: 1.94 TB
File Types Exposed: ImagesDocuments
Personally Identifiable Information: NamesDates of BirthDriver’s LicensesPassports

Type of Data Compromised: Personally identifiable information (pii)
Number of Records Exposed: 335,868
Sensitivity of Data: Moderate-High (when combined with other public data)
Data Exfiltration: Yes (files copied and taken)
Personally Identifiable Information: Full NamesDates of Birth
Prevention of Data Exfiltration: The company takes the following measures to prevent data exfiltration: Free credit monitoring (1 year), Identity protection services, .

Legal Actions: Class-action lawsuit (Pierce County Superior Court, filed 2024-09-03), Potential regulatory scrutiny (WA Attorney General),
Regulatory Notifications: Washington State Attorney General (breach reported in directory)
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through Class-action lawsuit (Pierce County Superior Court, filed 2024-09-03), Potential regulatory scrutiny (WA Attorney General), .

Recommendations: Implement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security auditsImplement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security auditsImplement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security auditsImplement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security auditsImplement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security auditsImplement third-party security testing, Purge unnecessary personal data, Enhance incident response timeliness, Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conduct regular security audits

Source: Comparitech

Source: The News Tribune

Source: Pierce County Superior Court Records (Case filed 2024-09-03)

Source: Washington State Attorney General Data Breach Directory
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: Comparitech, and Source: The News Tribune, and Source: Pierce County Superior Court Records (Case filed 2024-09-03), and Source: Washington State Attorney General Data Breach Directory.

Investigation Status: Ongoing

Investigation Status: Completed (internal review ~May 2024)
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through Public notification and offering free credit monitoring, Written Notices Mailed To Affected Individuals (~July 2024), Public Notice and Dedicated Helpline (1-855-201-0132).

Stakeholder Advisories: Public notification and offering free credit monitoring
Customer Advisories: Public notification and offering free credit monitoring

Stakeholder Advisories: Written Notices To 335,868 Affected Individuals, Public Statement Via Library Channels.
Customer Advisories: Monitor financial accounts for fraudEnroll in provided credit monitoringReport suspicious activity to library helpline (1-855-201-0132)Contact library via mail: 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma, WA 98446
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: were Public notification and offering free credit monitoring, Public notification and offering free credit monitoring, Written Notices To 335,868 Affected Individuals, Public Statement Via Library Channels, Monitor Financial Accounts For Fraud, Enroll In Provided Credit Monitoring, Report Suspicious Activity To Library Helpline (1-855-201-0132), Contact Library Via Mail: 3005 112Th St. E., Tacoma, Wa 98446 and .

High Value Targets: Patron Pii Databases,
Data Sold on Dark Web: Patron Pii Databases,

Root Causes: Inadequate Security Measures (Alleged), Delayed Public Notification,
Corrective Actions: Credit Monitoring Offered, Legal Defense Prepared, Potential Security Upgrades (If Court-Mandated),
Post-Incident Analysis Process: The company's process for conducting post-incident analysis is described as IDX for free credit monitoring.
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: Credit Monitoring Offered, Legal Defense Prepared, Potential Security Upgrades (If Court-Mandated), .
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was an Inc Ransomware.
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on April 2025.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on 2024-07-01.
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were Names, Dates of Birth, Driver’s Licenses, Passports, Internal Library Documents, , Names, Dates of Birth and .
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was Library CatalogSelf-CheckoutLibrary Card ApplicationsPrintingLibrary Computers.
Third-Party Assistance in Most Recent Incident: The third-party assistance involved in the most recent incident was IDX for free credit monitoring.
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were Passports, Dates of Birth, Driver’s Licenses, Internal Library Documents and Names.
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 672.7K.
Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was Class-action lawsuit (Pierce County Superior Court, filed 2024-09-03), Potential regulatory scrutiny (WA Attorney General), .
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was Extend credit monitoring beyond 1 year, Implement third-party security testing, Adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA), Enhance incident response timeliness, Conduct regular security audits and Purge unnecessary personal data.
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident are Comparitech, Washington State Attorney General Data Breach Directory, Pierce County Superior Court Records (Case filed 2024-09-03) and The News Tribune.
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is Ongoing.
Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was Public notification and offering free credit monitoring, Written notices to 335,868 affected individuals, Public statement via library channels, .
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued were an Public notification and offering free credit monitoring, Monitor financial accounts for fraudEnroll in provided credit monitoringReport suspicious activity to library helpline (1-855-201-0132)Contact library via mail: 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma and WA 98446.
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