First Choice Dental (FCD), which operates a string of dental clinics in Wisconsin, announced that it was struck by a ransomware attack that may have exposed the personal information of more than 228,000 dental patients.
On October 22, 2023, FCD detected a ransomware attack in which an unauthorized party gained access to its computer network. The hacker reportedly encrypted some of FCD's patient files to get the business to pay a ransom to release it, according to a letter mailed by First Choice Dental to those who may have been affected by the breach.
After learning of the attack, FCD purportedly immediately took its network offline and conducted a forensic investigation. The audit revealed that over a two-day period, the cybercriminal potentially accessed some or all of the sensitive data of 228,287 patients.
Data, including names, dates of birth, U.S. Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver's license numbers, financial account information, credit and debit card numbers, financial account information, and health information, may have been exposed, according to a First Choice Dental press release dated July 16.
FCD, which operates 12 dental clinics in Dade County, WI, posted a notice of the attack on its website and placed a media notice with the Wisconsin State Journal on December 21, 2023. In May 2024, FCD completed its comprehensive review and mailed notification letters to potential victims, according to the company's news release.
Furthermore, FCD found no evidence that the accessed patient information led to fraud or identity theft, according to its press release. Additionally, the Washington, D.C.-based legal firm Migliaccio & Rathod are investigating the data breach, according to a firm press release dated July 18.
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