4 recent data breaches in dentistry

Becker's has reported on four data breaches affecting the dental industry since the start of 2022:

1. The office of Gregory Vannucci, DDS, notified patients who were potentially affected by a data breach in January. The practice experienced the breach in November 2020, in which an unauthorized third-party accessed the network and encrypted its data. The investigation determined that patient data could have been compromised, although there was no evidence that individual patient information was accessed.

2. Dallas-based DSO Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics experienced a data breach affecting more than 1 million patients between January and August of 2021.The DSO determined that certain documents stored within its system that may have contained clinical information, patient demographic information, health insurance information and financial information were copied. However, the DSO said there was no evidence yet that any compromised data had been misused. It began notifying patients in January after its investigation. It was the largest data breach to be reported to the state's attorney general since a new state law was enacted Sept. 1 requiring companies to report data breaches affecting 500 or more Texans.

3. Burkhart Dental Supply in Tacoma, Wash., detected a potential data security incident in October 2021 that resulted in customers' names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver's license numbers and state identification numbers being compromised. It began notifying affected parties April 20. 

4. The American Dental Association was hit by a cyberattack reportedly by a ransomware gang known as Black Basta in April. The cyberattack disrupted the ADA's telephones, email, webchat and various online services. The hackers have allegedly begun leaking information stolen from the attack, which includes W2 forms, accounting spreadsheets and information on ADA members from screenshots.

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