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Smile Brands Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm on September 20, 2021 in Data Breach
Updated on February 24, 2022

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from Smile Brands, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

ransomware attack sign in data centerOn April 24, 2021, Smile Brands, Inc. (“Smile Brands”) became aware of a ransomware attack where hackers gained access to its servers where sensitive patient data was stored. While Smile Brands waited until August of 2021 to notify people that their information was accessed through a letter dated August 9, 2021, hackers bragged about stealing over 700 GB of data from Smile Brands on April 23rd, 2021.

Smile Brands is offering one year of free identity protection services. The best way to protect yourself after a data breach is to sign up for identity protection services as soon as possible. California offers extra protections and legal rights to its residents through the California Consumer Privacy Act.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED?

According to the notice that Smile Brands sent, the following information was affected:

  • Name
  • Social Security number
  • Date of birth
  • Health insurance information
  • Diagnosis information
  • Telephone number
  • Address

This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) and Protected Health Information (“PHI”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity. Businesses are required to secure this information or risk facing statutory penalties, among other legal penalties. Stolen PII/PHI can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity.

Smile Brands is a dentistry company that provides support services to dental groups in the United States. You may not have dealt directly with Smile Brands as a result of their business structure. At this time, this data breach appears to have impacted about 1,200 people.

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH from Smile Brands, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation request form here.