Arizona dental insurer says client data may have been exposed

PHOENIX – The names, addresses and Social Security numbers of clients of an Arizona dental insurer could have been compromised months ago in a phishing attack, the company said.

Delta Dental of Arizona said last week that a data breach was discovered in early July after suspicious activity originated from an employee’s email account.

Officials at the Glendale-based insurer weren’t certain how many accounts were exposed, but Delta Dental has begun notifying the policyholders.

There haven’t been any reports that personal information has been misused, the company said.

The breach is not listed at the Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which, by law, must post “breaches of unsecured protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals.”

The employee opened an email that gave the sender access to the account.

Other information included in the files that could be at risk were user names and passwords, passport numbers, drivers license numbers, credit and debit card details and digital signatures.

Delta Dental said it was reviewing its existing security protocols.

Customers who think they have been victimized can call a special toll-free hotline at 1-833-281-4828 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Arizona time and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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