Anchorage, Alaska-based btyDENTAL is notifying 2,008 patients that their personal health information may have been exposed in a ransomware attack.
The practice discovered in November that some of its servers had been infected with ransomware. Promptly, btyDENTAL's information technology staff stepped in to restore the encrypted data.
Patients' names and X-ray images may have been exposed in the breach. BtyDENTAL is unsure if the information was viewed or accessed by an unauthorized third-party. No financial information, medical records, Social Security numbers or dates of birth were affected.
There is no evidence that patient information has been misused.
"The privacy and security of our patient information is a top priority for btyDENTAL, we continually evaluate the security of our patient health information, and we strive to improve and strengthen the IT security through training of our employees and most up-to-date security measures. We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause," said Robert Croft, vice president of btyDENTAL in a statement.