Why would cybercriminals want to target my dental practice?

Why Cybersecurity Threats Can Happen to your Dental Practice

Many small and medium businesses (SMBs), including dental practices, mistakenly assume they are too insignificant to be targeted. This misconception often leads to inadequate cybersecurity measures, making them more attractive to attackers. SMBs often lack dedicated IT security experts, operate on limited budgets for cybersecurity, and may not regularly update their systems or implement robust protocols. These factors create embedded exploitable vulnerabilities in the IT environment.

Also, it is important to know that cybercriminals do not necessarily target a business. Like human viruses do not target specific people, cybercriminals simply try often to find any vulnerable entity. For this, they employ automated tools to scan for weaknesses, meaning any business connected to the internet can become a target. A dental practice’s reliance on digital systems—such as patient management software, billing platforms, and digital imaging systems—expands its attack surface and likelihood to be a victim.

Motivations Behind Cyberattacks

There are different profiles of Cybercriminals and motivations can differ from one to another. Nonetheless, we can typically segment those motivations in one or more of the following reasons:

1. Financial Gain:
   The primary motivation for most cyberattacks is monetary. Cybercriminals are making money by stealing money, extortion or selling data on the dark web.

2. Data Theft:
   Healthcare data is particularly valuable, often fetching higher prices than financial or retail information on black markets. Dental practices manage medical records, which include patients' health histories, making them attractive targets.

3. Extortion:
   Beyond ransomware, some attackers threaten to release sensitive patient data unless a ransom is paid, leveraging reputational damage as a pressure tactic.

4. Disruption of Services:
   Some cybercriminals or groups may seek to disrupt operations, whether for political, ideological, or competitive reasons. A dental clinic experiencing downtime loses revenue and risks damaging patient trust.

5. Ease of Exploitation:
   SMBs, including dental offices, are often targeted simply because their security defenses are perceived to be weaker than those of larger organizations. For cybercriminals, these businesses can be a way to penetrate a larger and globally connected organisation.

Real-World Examples of Dental Clinic Cyberattacks

1. Patient Data Breach at Healthcare Partners, LLC (2017):
   A ransomware attack on the Nevada-based dental group exposed the records of over 500,000 patients. The breach included Social Security numbers, medical histories, and financial data. This attack underscored the vulnerability of dental practices to large-scale data theft and ransomware.

2. The Florida Orthodontic Practice Incident (2019):
   An orthodontic clinic in Florida fell victim to ransomware that locked their patient files and disrupted operations. The attackers demanded a ransom in Bitcoin to decrypt the data. While the clinic did not disclose whether the ransom was paid, they incurred significant downtime and reputational damage.

3. Minnesota Dental Practice Ransomware Attack (2021):
   A Minnesota-based dental practice was hit with ransomware, which encrypted patient files and financial data. The attackers demanded $50,000 in Bitcoin. Despite restoring some data from backups, the clinic suffered a loss of business and trust due to the breach.

4. Colorado-Based Dental Provider Breach (2022):
   A phishing email led to a ransomware attack that locked access to electronic health records (EHR) systems. This breach exposed patient data and led to weeks of operational disruption.

Protecting Your Practice

These examples illustrate that no business, regardless of size, is immune to cybersecurity threats. Dental practices should prioritize implementing robust cybersecurity measures, to proactively avoid becoming a victim.

By acknowledging the threat and taking proactive steps, dental practices can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to cybercriminals.