Bordeaux orthodontists victims of extortion

A few months ago, an orthodontic practice in Bordeaux (Gironde) was the target of cyber-extortion. “When we opened, it was a Swiss cheese. There were holes in the schedules, we no longer had access to appointments”, explains Isabelle Calvi, medical secretary. Regulations and patient records were also gone. After 10 days of blocking, the two orthodontists resolved to pay the ransom, of several thousand euros.

A dozen other dental offices in the Bordeaux area suffered the cyberattack. Some have paid up to 15,000 euros. In Bordeaux, five investigators specialize in cybercrime, which increasingly targets small companies. “The question right now is not whether we will be attacked, it’s when”, comments Christelle F., head of the cybercrime unit at the Bordeaux judicial police. She recommends backing up your data regularly, or updating software and applications.