Public Library of Science

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On February 3, 2026, Public Library of Science (PLOS) discovered a spear-phishing attack where an employee mistakenly responded to a phishing email, resulting in the unauthorized disclosure of US employees' 2025 W-2 forms. The compromised data included names, residential addresses, social security numbers, salary, and tax withholding information. PLOS immediately commenced an investigation, contacted the IRS and FBI, and is offering 24 months of complimentary Experian IdentityWorks to affected individuals. The incident is contained, and PLOS is implementing additional security training and policy reviews.

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