Managed Care of North America (MCNA) Dental, a prominent dental care and oral health insurance provider for government-sponsored programs in the U.S., has experienced a significant data breach affecting almost 9 million patients.
The breach involved unauthorized access to MCNA’s computer systems, with hackers gaining entry to the network on February 26, 2023. The stolen data includes sensitive personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and health insurance details. MCNA Dental has taken immediate action to address the breach, enhance system security, and offer affected individuals 12 months of free identity theft protection and credit monitoring services.
The breach, impacting 8,923,662 people, was reported to the Office of the Maine Attorney General. MCNA Dental assures that appropriate measures have been taken to rectify the situation and bolster the security of its systems to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company has also engaged law enforcement authorities to help prevent misuse of the stolen information.
While not all affected individuals will receive direct notification due to incomplete addresses, MCNA Dental has published a substitute notice on IDX, which will remain accessible for 90 days.
The cyberattack on MCNA Dental was claimed by the LockBit ransomware gang, which threatened to release 700GB of sensitive data unless a $10 million ransom was paid. On April 7, 2023, LockBit made all the stolen data available for download on its website, increasing the risk of the compromised information falling into the hands of other threat actors.
As a result, impacted individuals are advised to monitor their credit reports for any signs of fraudulent activity or identity theft. Additionally, individuals should exercise caution regarding targeted phishing emails that may exploit the leaked data to trick recipients into disclosing further sensitive information.
This breach highlights the vulnerability of personal data and emphasizes the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and constant vigilance. MCNA Dental is committed to rectifying the situation, supporting affected individuals, and preventing similar incidents in the future.
