Why are dental practices attractive targets for cyberattackers?

The dental industry often under-invests in IT and cybersecurity, many practices value efficiency over security, local practice management software frequently lacks proper security features, and some local IT providers lack the means to address security issues.

What is the first step to reduce cybersecurity risk in a dental practice?

Invest in cybersecurity training for staff. Many incidents stem from human mistakes, such as engaging with phishing emails or downloading harmful attachments.

How does cloud practice management software help?

Cloud-based software with robust security capabilities adds an extra layer of defense and keeps practice management data unharmed by local network issues.

What IT safeguards should a dental practice have?

Current patches and updates, data isolated from the practice network, endpoint protection and ransomware countermeasures with active subscriptions, a security appliance between the internet and the network, a risk assessment, and a Security Operations Center (SOC).

Aspen Dental Cybersecurity Breach: Immediate Actions Dental Practices Must Take to Prevent Similar Risks

A cybersecurity event severely impacted Aspen Dental, one of the leading dental service organizations in the United States. While the company had yet to share full details at the time of writing, the incident emphasizes the need for dental practices and organizations to bolster their cybersecurity defenses.

This article looks at why dental practices are enticing targets for cybercriminals and suggests practical measures to decrease the risk of a cybersecurity incident.

01What happened?

NoteThis article was published in May 2023, shortly after the incident. The details below reflect what was being reported at that time, before Aspen Dental's full disclosure.

What was known at the time was not a complete picture, as Aspen Dental had 60 days to disclose full details. Reported at the time of writing:

1
All 1,000+ practices affectedTheir PMS software systems are centrally located for all practices.
2
Federal involvementThe FBI and CISA were involved and working with Aspen.
3
2+ million patient records at riskOver 2 million patient records were reported to be under attack.
4
Data exfiltrationThe data was reported to be exfiltrated (taken off-site), which automatically constitutes a breach.
5
Backups possibly compromisedTheir backups might also have been compromised.

02Why do dental practices appeal to cyberattackers?

Direct answerUnder-investment in IT, efficiency prioritized over security, weak local software security, and limited IT provider resources.

In general, the dental industry falls short in allocating resources to IT and cybersecurity. Many practices place a higher value on efficiency than security, which leaves them exposed to cyber threats. Moreover, local practice management software frequently lacks proper security features, and many practices rely on local IT providers who may not have the means to address security issues effectively. As a result, dental practices have become attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking vulnerable and easy prey.

03How to lessen the risk of a cybersecurity event

Direct answerTrain staff, adopt secure cloud practice management software, keep infrastructure updated and protected, assess risk, and add a SOC.

Train your staff

The initial step is to invest in cybersecurity training for staff members. Cybersecurity incidents often stem from human mistakes, such as engaging with phishing emails or downloading harmful attachments. Teaching staff cybersecurity best practices can be instrumental in averting such events.

Move practice management to the cloud

Another practical approach is to implement cloud practice management software equipped with robust security capabilities. Cloud-based software provides an extra layer of defense and keeps practice management data unharmed by local network issues.

Keep your IT infrastructure updated and secure

Keep patches and updates current
Isolate data from the practice network
Deploy endpoint protection with an active subscription
Use ransomware countermeasure software
Place a security appliance with active subscriptions between the internet and the practice network
Conduct a risk assessment on your IT systems to pinpoint weak spots
Add a Security Operations Center (SOC) as a new layer of security

To sum up

The cybersecurity event at Aspen Dental should prompt dental practices and organizations to treat cybersecurity with the seriousness it deserves. By investing in staff cybersecurity education, adopting cloud-based software, and keeping IT infrastructure secure and up to date, dental practices can decrease the likelihood of a similar event and protect their patients' confidential data.

Assess your practice's risk

Darkhorse Tech helps dental practices run risk assessments, harden their infrastructure, and add SOC-level protection.