First Choice Dental

First Choice Dental (FCD), a dental care practice based in Madison, Wisconsin, experienced a data security incident on October 22, 2023. The breach potentially allowed unauthorized access to sensitive patient information. Upon discovering the incident, FCD promptly engaged a specialized cybersecurity firm to conduct a forensic investigation to determine the nature and scope of the breach. While the investigation is still ongoing, FCD has been transparent about the potential exposure of sensitive data and has filed a notice of the breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights on December 21, 2023[1][3].

FCD has begun sending out data breach notification letters to individuals whose information may have been affected by the security incident. These letters are intended to inform the recipients about the breach and advise them on steps they can take to protect their information, such as monitoring their credit reports and being vigilant for signs of identity theft[3].

First Choice Dental operates 11 dental care clinics throughout Wisconsin and offers a range of services including preventative care, pediatric dental care, periodontics, implants, braces, Invisalign, oral surgery, and sleep apnea & snoring therapy. The company employs more than 109 people and generates approximately $10 million in annual revenue[3].

The incident at First Choice Dental is part of a larger trend of increasing cyber incidents affecting businesses, which have been on the rise since 2017 and have further intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the shift to remote work[5]. Cybersecurity experts recommend that companies invest in quality cybersecurity staff, back up their data, and implement measures such as multi-factor authentication and password managers to mitigate risks[7].

For more information or if there are any questions not addressed in the notice, FCD has provided a contact number for affected individuals to call: 608-308-2941, available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time, excluding U.S. national holidays[1].

Citations:

1. https://firstchoicedental.com/blog/first-choice-dental-notice-of-data-security-incident/
2. https://individual.carefirst.com/individuals-families/home.page
3. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/first-choice-dental-files-notice-of-9554584/
4. https://floridabluedental.com/members/find-a-dentist/
5. https://madison.com/news/local/business/first-choice-dental-cybersecurity-madison/article_2dfa7600-7d8f-11ee-a139-67dd67d799ce.html
6. https://www.humana.com
7. https://www.ibmadison.com/madisons-first-choice-dental-reports-cyber-incident/
8. https://www.deltadentalva.com
9. https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/first-choice-dental-data-breach-class-action-investigation-and-lawsuit-assistance/
10. https://www.bcbs.com
11. https://www.beckersdental.com/dentists/42727-wisconsin-dental-practice-suffers-data-breach.html
12. https://www.anthem.com
13. https://www.firstchoicedental.com
14. https://www.dentaquest.com/en
15. https://www.teiss.co.uk/news/first-choice-dental-reports-data-breach-patient-information-at-risk-13314
16. https://www.dominionnational.com