Dental practices store protected health information, process insurance claims, and run clinical software that attackers know how to target. They are also significantly less protected than hospitals and health systems that have dedicated security teams.
That gap is exactly why dental practices are among the most common targets for ransomware, phishing, and data theft in healthcare. Here is what every dental practice needs to have in place.
The Threat Landscape for Dental Practices
130%
Increase in ransomware attacks on dental practices 2021 to 2024
$50k-$200k
Average recovery cost including downtime, IT remediation, and notification
Most attacks succeed not because of sophisticated techniques but because basic security controls were missing. Multi-factor authentication, updated software, and staff training prevent the majority of successful dental practice cyberattacks.
Not sure if all seven cybersecurity controls are in place at your practice? Find out in 15 minutes if we are the right fit.
Rate each of the seven essential security controls for your practice. Your score reflects your current exposure level.
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Security score
0 / 14
Multi-Factor Authentication
Enabled on all remote access accounts, email accounts, and cloud-based systems. Enforced at the organizational level, not optional per user.
Endpoint Detection and Response
EDR active on every workstation and server. Alerts are monitored and responded to by your IT provider. An EDR tool no one monitors provides false confidence.
Email Security
Dedicated spam and phishing filter, real-time link and attachment scanning, and staff training on identifying suspicious emails.
Backup and Recovery
Automated daily backup, offsite or cloud copy logically separated from primary systems, and verified restore tests conducted regularly.
Network Security
Business-grade managed firewall, network segmentation separating clinical systems from guest Wi-Fi, and remote access limited to VPN or zero-trust tools.
Patch Management
Operating system updates, practice management software patches, and browser updates applied across all devices on a regular, documented schedule.
HIPAA Technical Safeguards Documentation
Encryption configuration records, access control logs, backup verification records, and MFA deployment documentation produced and retained by your IT provider.
Is Your Backup Actually a Backup?
A verified backup is one of the most important cybersecurity controls a dental practice can have. In a ransomware attack, your backup is the difference between paying a ransom and restoring from a clean copy of your data. But a backup that has not been tested is not a verified backup.
Check each component your current backup setup includes.
Automated daily backupBackup runs automatically every day without requiring manual initiation. Your practice management data and patient records are captured on a consistent schedule.
Offsite or cloud copy logically separated from primary systemsA backup stored on the same server or same network as your primary data is not a safe backup. Ransomware encrypts everything it can reach. Your backup must be logically isolated from your primary environment.
Verified restore test conducted regularlyA backup no one has tested restoring is an assumption, not a verified backup. Your IT provider should be performing restore tests on a regular schedule and documenting the results.
Your backup meets the three-component standard.
All three components are in place. Confirm that restore test results are being documented and retained as part of your HIPAA technical safeguards records. The test record is what auditors check, not just whether the test was performed.
Your backup is incomplete.
Two of three components are in place. The missing component is a gap that matters in a ransomware scenario. An automated daily backup stored on an isolated copy but never tested is still an unverified backup. A tested backup on the same network as your primary data is still reachable by ransomware.
Your backup is not a verified backup.
Missing multiple components means your practice is one ransomware attack away from having no reliable recovery path. Paying a ransom does not guarantee data return, and attackers know which practices have incomplete backups before they strike.
Yes. The HIPAA Security Rule requires dental practices to implement technical safeguards to protect electronic patient health information. These include access controls, audit logging, encryption, and automatic logoff. Cybersecurity measures like MFA, EDR, and encrypted backup directly satisfy these requirements.
Annually at minimum, and whenever significant changes occur in the practice's technology environment. A Security Risk Assessment documents the current threats to patient data, evaluates existing controls, and identifies gaps that need to be addressed. It is required by HIPAA and is one of the first documents OCR requests during an audit.
Multi-factor authentication. It prevents the most common attack scenario in dental practices, which is an attacker using stolen or phished credentials to access practice systems remotely. No other single control has a higher impact-to-implementation ratio for a dental office.
Disconnect affected systems from the network immediately to prevent spread. Contact your IT provider for emergency response. Do not pay a ransom without consulting your IT provider and legal counsel first. Document everything from the moment the incident is discovered. Your IT provider should have an incident response process that covers these steps.
Does your dental practice have every essential cybersecurity measure in place or just the ones that came with your software?
Ekim IT Solutions works exclusively with dental practices. We serve New England and New York with on-site support and dental practices nationwide with remote support. We assess and implement the full cybersecurity stack dental practices need, EDR, MFA, network segmentation, email filtering, encrypted backups, and dark web monitoring, so your practice is not the easiest target on the block.
Dental practices are targeted because they are under-protected. Find out which essential measures your practice is still missing.
Ezra Angelo
