Upper Dublin Family Dentistry, which has locations in Willow Grove (Upper Moreland Township) and Elkins Park (Cheltenham Township), recently reported a ransomware attack and data breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, The HIPAA Journal reported.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) that restricts access to a computer system or the files it contains, typically by encrypting them, and demands a ransom payment for their release.
The May 13 attack “potentially involved unauthorized access to the protected health information of 5,000 individuals”, The Journal said.
Experts have since investigated the incident, contained the threat, and restored systems, according to the report. Upper Dublin Family Dentistry did not have to pay a ransom, though “patient data may have been viewed or acquired by the ransomware group, including names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, and dental medical records”, The Journal said.
“Upper Dublin Family Dentistry is unaware of any misuse of that data and said steps have been taken to improve system security and strengthen its web server infrastructure,” the report said.
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