The group stated it began a forensic investigation and recently notified the practices of a breach of personal information. North American Dental Management said the intrusion occurred via email accounts and it has notified federal and local law enforcement of the incident.
Personal information that may have been exposed will vary between individuals and may include name, mailing address, email address, phone number, dental information, insurance information, Social Security number, and financial account numbers.
“Presently, there is no evidence of malicious use of any personal information due to this incident,” the group said in a statement.
While the matter remains under investigation, NADM and PDA said they have have enhanced their email security controls and computer networks.
Additionally, those impacted by the breach are being offered free two-year memberships to Experian’s IdentityWorks, a product that guards against identify theft and provides fraud alerts. The program will also provide free credit reports, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance for up to $1 million.
PDA said it also provided direct written notice to individuals affected, apologizing for the data security breach and sharing resources to protect their identity. PDA said it will notify more people if anyone else is identified.
Patients who choose to not participate in Experian’s IdentityWorks are encouraged to remain vigilant in monitoring personal identity. They should also call the any of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit account and order a free credit report.
Contact information for each credit bureau is as follows:
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
If individuals have any questions concerning this incident, they should call the Professional Dental Alliance Breach Hotline at (888) 397-0067.
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