PerCSoft, a Wisconsin-based company that manages a remote data backup service relied upon by hundreds of dental offices across the country, is struggling to restore access to client systems after falling victim to a ransomware attack.

West Allis, Wis.-based PerCSoft is a cloud management provider for Digital Dental Record (DDR), which operates an online data backup service called DDS Safe that archives medical records, charts, insurance documents and other personal information for various dental offices across the United States.

The ransomware attack hit PerCSoft on the morning of Monday, Aug. 26, and encrypted dental records for some — but not all — of the practices that rely on DDS Safe.

PercSoft did not respond to requests for comment. But Brenna Sadler, director of  communications for the Wisconsin Dental Association, said the ransomware encrypted files for approximate 400 dental practices, and that somewhere between 80-100 of those clients have now had their files restored.

Sadler said she did not know whether PerCSoft and/or DDR had paid the ransom demand, what ransomware strain was involved, or how much the attackers had demanded.

But updates to PerCSoft’s Facebook page and statements published by both PerCSoft and DDR suggest someone may have paid up: The statements note that both companies worked with a third party software company and were able to obtain a decryptor to help clients regain access to files that were locked by the ransomware.

However, some affected dental offices have reported that the decryptor did not work to unlock at least some of the files encrypted by the ransomware. Meanwhile, several affected dentistry practices said they feared they might be unable to process payroll payments this week as a result of the attack.

Cloud data and backup services are a prime target of cybercriminals who deploy ransomware. In July, attackers hit QuickBooks cloud hosting firm iNSYNQ, holding data hostage for many of the company’s clients. In February, cloud payroll data provider Apex Human Capital Management was knocked offline for three days following a ransomware infestation.

On Christmas Eve 2018, cloud hosting provider Dataresolution.net took its systems offline in response to a ransomware outbreak on its internal networks. The company was adamant that it would not pay the ransom demand, but it ended up taking several weeks for customers to fully regain access to their data.

The FBI and multiple security firms have advised victims not to pay any ransom demands, as doing so just encourages the attackers and in any case may not result in actually regaining access to encrypted files. In practice, however, many cybersecurity consulting firms are quietly urging their customers that paying up is the fastest route back to business-as-usual.

It remains unclear if either PerCSoft or DDR — or perhaps their insurance provider — paid the ransom demand in this attack. But new reporting from independent news outlet ProPublica this week sheds light on another possible explanation why so many victims are simply coughing up the ransom demands: Their insurance providers will cover the cost — minus a deductible that is usually far less than the total ransom demanded by the attackers.

More to the point, ProPublica found, such attacks may be great for business if you’re in the insurance industry.

“More often than not, paying the ransom is a lot cheaper for insurers than the loss of revenue they have to cover otherwise,” said Minhee Cho, public relations director of ProPublica, in an email to KrebsOnSecurity. “But, by rewarding hackers, these companies have created a perverted cycle that encourages more ransomware attacks, which in turn frighten more businesses and government agencies into buying policies.”

“In fact, it seems hackers are specifically extorting American companies that they know have cyber insurance,” Cho continued. “After one small insurer highlighted the names of some of its cyber policyholders on its website, three of them were attacked by ransomware.”

Read the full ProPublica piece here. And if you haven’t already done so, check out this outstanding related reporting by ProPublica from earlier this year on how security firms that help companies respond to ransomware attacks also may be enabling and emboldening attackers.

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