The American Dental Association has announced it experienced a cyberattack on April 22nd and that it was required to suspend many of its on-line services, including its website. It is asking affected members to contact them with any questions.
The ADA has not confirmed the extent of the attack, but in e-mails to members, it notified them that parts of its network, including Aptify, ADA email, the telephone system, and web chat, were affected.
A ransomware operation named Black Basta claimed responsibility for the attack and published some of the information it says was stolen, including employee information, financial information, and other sensitive data. It claimed that the information it released was about 30% of the data stolen from the ADA.
Black Basta started its attacks at the ADA and elsewhere in mid-April 2022 and encrypts files using particular algorithms before demanding a ransom in order to prevent further information from being released on its website.
When a victim is attacked, its desktops feature an image stating “Black Basta Group encrypts your network,” and a readme.txt file is included in its message with instructions on how to recover files.
The ADA said that it has contacted law enforcement and has now hired cybersecurity professionals to assist it in recovering from the attack.
ADA advises dentists to be on alert for internet security risks
Contact Info:
Brian Hatch
Hatch Legal Group
8 North Main Street, Suite 403
Attleboro, MA 02703
HatchLegalGroup.com
brianhatch@hatchlawoffices.com
508-222-6400
