Recently, Aspen Dental, one of the largest dental service organizations in the United States, was hit with a major cyber-attack that affected 1,000 of their practices nationwide. This has left patients stranded and raised questions about network security and HIPAA compliance.

The digital age has made it easier than ever to keep track of patient records, manage appointments, and communicate with clients. However, this increased reliance on technology also means that the threat of a cyber-attack is more real than ever before.  

From ransomware attacks to data breaches, dental practices need to be aware of the potential dangers lurking in cyberspace so they can take steps to protect their sensitive information and stay compliant with HIPAA regulations.

In recent years, ransomware attacks have become one of the most significant cybersecurity threats targeting organizations of all sizes, including dental practices. Hackers have developed new and sophisticated methods to exploit vulnerabilities in company networks, leaving dental practices exposed to significant financial losses.

With the growth of emerging technologies, such as AI, cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated. These tools are helping hackers become even more undetectable when conducting malicious phishing scams - like email spoofing. As a dental professional, it is of utmost importance for you to understand the basics of recognizing and avoiding these pitfalls - the last thing you would want is for today's patients to be affected by yesterday's mistakes.

*Updated, June 30, 2025: This article, originally published in January 2023, has been updated to include breaking news of an advanced cyber threat where 16 billion passwords where exposed for various platforms. Additionally, we've provided details on how to switch from passwords to a secure passkey technology if you are an Apple, Facebook, or Google user.

The holiday and official shopping seasons are in full swing, and if there is a sale, there might be a scam close by. As the prices go down, so does our guard. We fear losing out on a deal and can act without thinking. In this blog we are sharing a few quick reminders to stay cyber-safe this holiday season.

Ransomware attacks are among the most common ways cybercriminals coordinate attacks designed to obtain patient data. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, ransomware attacks more than doubled between 2020 and 2021 – from 158 in 2020 to 321 in 2021 – victimizing over 41 million individuals.

Over 60% of data breaches can be traced to weak credentials. Employees reuse passwords or create ones that are easy to remember. Many employees add a number to their passwords and increment them each time they are forced to make a password change. These practices make it easy for hackers to gain access to a network.

As a small- to medium-sized business (SMB) owner, keeping your dental clinic’s valuable data safe should be a priority. Cybercriminals often target SMBs and healthcare organizations because compared to larger corporations, these entities often lack the technology and manpower to run an efficient cybersecurity system, making them easier to infiltrate.

Cybercriminals have many opportunities to intercept confidential data. But if your data is encrypted, it’s much more difficult for your data to be compromised – should a cybercriminal succeed in getting their hands on it.

As with any other healthcare provider, dental practices must comply with HIPAA and HITECH legislation – requiring that all communications be encrypted.