Is Your Dental Practice Safe from Cyber Threats? – by Thomas Kane, CEO, Fusion One Technologies

The New Reality

Cyber threats against dental practices are growing fast—and getting more dangerous. In recent years, hackers have hit not only small dental offices but also major dental supply chains and professional organizations. These attacks don’t just shut down systems; they expose sensitive patient data and lead to costly legal and compliance issues. With cybercriminals becoming more advanced, dental providers can no longer afford to be reactive. Now is the time for serious cybersecurity action.

The Rising Tide of Attacks

The healthcare sector has seen a surge in ransomware activity, and dental practices are among the most vulnerable. A turning point came when Change Healthcare paid $22 million to recover from an attack. That incident was followed by a record-breaking number of ransomware reports in just one month.

Cybercriminals see healthcare—and especially dental practices—as easy targets. The combination of valuable data and weaker defenses makes this industry especially attractive.

Major Incidents That Shook Dentistry

Here are some of the most impactful breaches:

• Dental Care Alliance: Over 1 million patient records breached in 2020.

• Henry Schein: In 2023, ransomware disrupted their supply chain and exposed data from more than 160,000 individuals.

• ADA (American Dental Association): Affected during a wave of targeted attacks.

• OneTouchPoint: Their 2022 breach affected millions across multiple healthcare clients, including dental offices.

• Dental Health Management Solutions: Breach in 2023 impacted 300,000+ patients.

• Local Practices: From Minnesota to South Carolina, smaller dental offices have suffered ransomware attacks and fallout from system lockouts and data leaks.

These examples prove that no one is safe—not even the smallest clinic.

Why Practices Remain Exposed

Many dental offices lack basic protections. Common weaknesses include:

• Easy-to-guess or unchanged default passwords

• No multi-factor authentication (MFA)

• Unpatched or outdated systems

• Lack of staff training on phishing and cyber risks

These gaps give hackers an open door.

What Modern Cybersecurity Looks Like

To effectively defend against today’s threats, practices must adopt modern safeguards:

• Passwordless logins: Secure access using biometrics or trusted devices.

• Zero Trust Security: Always verify access, no matter the user or location.

• AI-Powered Protection: Real-time monitoring and threat response tools.

• Cloud Backup Systems: Encrypted off-site backups for fast, secure recovery.

  
  

Action Plan for Dental Providers

If you run a dental office, take these critical steps:

1. Enable MFA across all systems.

2. Stop using weak or default passwords.

3. Conduct cybersecurity risk assessments yearly.

4. Train your entire team on digital safety.

5. Keep your systems and software updated.

6. Work with cybersecurity experts who understand healthcare.

7. Build and regularly test a response plan for cyber incidents.

   
   

Closing Thoughts

Digital tools have improved dentistry—but they’ve also opened the door to cybercrime. Every dental professional needs to view cybersecurity as part of their duty to protect patient trust and business continuity. The risks are high, but the solutions are within reach

Thomas KaneCEO, Fusion One TechnologiesCybersecurity Consultant for Dental and Medical Practices