Panera Bread confirms data breach exposed customer contact information

Another major consumer brand has joined the growing list of companies that have been hit by serious data breaches. Panera Bread has confirmed a cybersecurity incident has occurred yet Hacking group ShinyHunters She claimed to have stolen millions of customer records.

The hack exposes a wide range of personal details, raising real concerns for anyone who has placed an order, created an account or shared contact information with the popular bakery chain.

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A sub-data breach exposes emails and phone numbers

Panera Bread has confirmed a data breach occurred after hackers claimed to have stolen millions of customer records containing contact information. (AP photo)

What happened in the Panera Bread data breach?

ShinyHunters added Panera Bread to its data leak site earlier this year, initially claiming to have stolen more than 14 million customer records. According to the group, the stolen data includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, and account-related information.

Panera Bread has since confirmed that a cybersecurity incident occurred. In a statement to the media, the company described the exposed data as “contact information” for customers, and said it had contacted law enforcement and taken steps to address the incident. Panera did not share technical details about how the attack occurred or whether customers needed to take specific actions.

Even “contact information” can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. When combined, these details can be used for identity theft, targeted phishing, and highly convincing social engineering scams.

ShinyHunters claims that the attackers gained access to Panera’s systems through it Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO). Although Panera has not confirmed this claim, it closely mirrors recent warnings from Okta about an increase in voice phishing attacks targeting single sign-on (SSO) platforms.

In these attacks, criminals pretend to be IT or help desk employees and contact employees directly. They pressure targets to agree to authentication requests or enter login credentials on fake SSO pages. Once attackers capture session tokens or credentials, they can bypass some forms of multi-factor authentication and move horizontally through a company’s systems. This approach relies on human trust rather than technical exploitation, making it increasingly effective.

How many people are actually affected?

At first glance, claims that 14 million customers were affected suggest a massive breach. However, the researchers at Have I Been Pwned? He later clarified that the attackers stole 14 million records, not data associated with 14 million unique individuals.

After reviewing the leaked data set, researchers now estimate that the hack affected approximately 5.1 million people. The information disclosed includes email addresses as well as names, phone numbers, and physical addresses associated with them.

This distinction is important, but it does not eliminate the risks. Once stolen data is made public, it can spread quickly through criminal forums and be reused for years.

149 million passwords were exposed in a massive credential leak

Hacking group ShinyHunters leaked stolen Panera customer data online after an extortion attempt failed. (Panera bread)

The hackers leaked the data after the blackmail operation failed

ShinyHunters reportedly tried to blackmail Panera Bread before publishing the stolen data. When these efforts failed, the group released a 760MB archive containing millions of customer records on its leak site.

This reflects a broader shift in cybercrime. Instead of locking down systems with ransomware, many groups now focus on quietly stealing data and threatening public exposure. These attacks are faster, harder to detect, and often just as profitable.

ShinyHunters has used similar tactics in other high-profile incidents involving Bumble, Match Group, Crunchbase, and other consumer platforms.

Lawsuits filed after Panera breach was disclosed

The violation has already sparked legal repercussions. Several class action lawsuits have been filed in US federal court, alleging that Panera failed to adequately protect customer data.

The lawsuits allege that Panera knew or should have known about the security vulnerabilities and are seeking damages, improved security practices, and long-term identity theft protection for affected customers. Panera has not commented publicly on the lawsuit.

A worrying pattern for Panera Bread

This is not Panera Bread’s first specialty Security chaos. In 2018, a cybersecurity researcher revealed that Panera left millions of customer records exposed online in plain text. This incident later led to lawsuits and settlements.

Repeated violations often indicate deeper challenges. Large organizations may have difficulty securing cloud services, identity systems, and employee access at scale. When attackers target identity platforms rather than infrastructure, a single mistake can expose millions of records.

We reached out to Panera Bread for comment, but did not receive a response before the specified deadline.

GRUBHUB confirms data breach amid extortion claims

Exposed contact details, such as names, emails, and addresses, can increase phishing and identity theft long after the breach becomes public. (Donato Fasano/Getty Images)

7 steps you can take to protect yourself after a Panera data breach

When a major consumer brand experiences a breach, customers often don’t realize the risk until weeks or months later. These steps help limit what attackers can do with your information if your Panera data falls into the wrong hands.

1) Use a strong, unique password for each account

If you created a Panera Bread account, reset its password immediately. If you reuse this password elsewhere, those accounts will now be at risk as well. Attackers routinely test compromised passwords across email, shopping, and banking sites.

A Password manager It helps by creating strong, unique passwords for each account and storing them securely so you never need to reuse credentials. Many password managers also alert you if your email or passwords show up in known data breaches, giving you early warning to secure things quickly.

Our #1 password manager pick has a built-in penetration scanner that checks if your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

2) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible

Two-factor authentication (2FA) It adds a second step to the sign-in process, usually through an app or device you control. Even if someone gets your password through phishing or hacking, two-factor authentication (2FA) makes it difficult for them to access your account.

3) Be careful of phishing messages

Cybercriminals often follow up breaches with fake emails or in-app messages pretending to offer assistance or security updates. Always check the sender and avoid clicking links. When in doubt, open the app or website directly instead of replying to the message. Using powerful antivirus software adds another layer of protection by flagging malicious links and blocking known threats before they can cause damage. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware, maintaining your privacy Personal information Digital assets are safe.

Get my picks for the best antivirus protection winners of 2026 for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS at Cyberguy.com.

4) Limit the personal details you share

When names, email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses are exposed, identity theft becomes a real risk. Identity theft protection services monitor your personal information, alert you if it appears on the dark web, and monitor attempts to open new accounts in your name.

If something goes wrong, these services often include recovery support to help freeze accounts, dispute fraud, and walk you through the cleanup process.

Check out my tips and top picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

5) Reduce your digital footprint with a data removal service

Fraudsters don’t rely on just one breach. They combine leaked data with information from data broker websites to create detailed profiles. Data removal services Help remove your phone number, home address and other personal details from hundreds of these sites.

Although no service can erase everything, reducing what is publicly available makes it much more difficult for criminals to target you with disguised scams or identity fraud. This is one of the most effective long-term ways to reduce risk after any major hack.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free check to see if your personal information really exists on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

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6) Secure your email account

Your email account controls password resets for most services. Protect it with a strong password and 2FA. Review your login activity and recovery settings regularly, so attackers can’t use your email to take over other accounts.

7) Monitor account changes after hack news

Not every breach results in immediate account takeovers. In some cases, attackers quietly test access weeks later. That’s why staying alert after reporting a breach is important. Keep an eye on emails you didn’t request to reset your password, profile changes you didn’t make, or new messages you didn’t send. Unexpected logins or security alerts are also red flags. If you notice anything unusual, change your password immediately and review your security settings.

Key takeaway for Kurt

The Panera Bread data breach is another reminder that even familiar brands can become major cyber targets. While Panera says only contact information was disclosed, this data is often enough to fuel fraud and identity theft long after the headlines have faded. Staying proactive after a news breach is now part of protecting your digital life.

Do you still trust big brands to protect your personal information, or have repeated breaches changed the amount of data you’re willing to share? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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