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Dental Association Malware Infects Thousands of Offices

Posted: April 28, 2016 to News.

Tags: Malware, Data Breach, Compliance

In an attempt to update dental procedure codes, the American Dental Association may have inadvertently infected thousands of dental offices across the United States with malware. As part of a mailer sent to ADA members, the thumb drives were intended to contain codes that offices use to keep track of procedures for billing and insurance purposes. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the code in one of the files tried to open a web page that is known to distribute malware, allowing thieves to take control of a Windows-based computer. The manufacturing of the USBs was subcontracted by an ADA vendor to a company in China. Of the 37,000 devices mailed, it appears that only a small percentage are infected. It’s believed that one of the duplicate machines used by the manufacturer became infected some time during production, infected the ADA’s clean disk image, and then passed it on to the devices. While they did perform random quality assurance testing, no infected USB was found. With more than 159,000 members, the ADA has decided to review how it distributes materials in the future. Any dental office who received a mailer should not use the thumb drive and dispose of it. If you would like a digital copy of the 2016 CDT manual, the ADA has made it available in PDF format through their website.

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Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

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