Skull of Female French Aristocrat from 1600s Shows How the Wealthy Saved Their Teeth

 Today's post is short because the real info is available from the link below.  However, let me tell you a bit about it.

One of the really amazing technologies that has become fairly common in today's dental practices is CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) that creates 3D x-ray images.  These devices give us the ability to basically pick up a patient's skull and rotate it to see things from any angle as well as being able to look inside as well.

That aspect of things is what makes this particular story so fascinating.  Scientists managed to get a CBCT scan of a body that was around 400 years old.  The things they discovered about this French noblewoman and the amazing things that had been done to her to allow her keep her own teeth in place despite advanced periodontal disease.

The story and the pictures are pretty amazing.

Follow this link for the article and photos.  

Law Enforcement Units Combine their Work to take Hive Ransomware Gang Offline

 

Score one for the good guys!  The Hive ransomware group has caused a *lot* of damage.  Of course any ransomware group can wreak havoc, but from the standpoint of where I work, Hive seemed to have targeted the healthcare sector more than others.  

This lead to all kinds of terrible outcomes.  In August 2021 Hive ransomware encrypted the network of a hospital that was forced to stop admitting patients during a Covid-19 surge.  Another example was the Lake Charles Memorial Health System in Louisiana.  Their IT folks were able to prevent encryption of their network, but the hackers still got away with data on close to 270K patients.  Of course there are also lots of targets that remain unannounced for a variety of reasons.

Ransomware is a scourge, no matter who it impacts.  However, targeting healthcare carries with it the possibility  of injuring patients or perhaps even causing death.  That is one of the things that makes these type of illegal activities so reckless and dangerous.  Once you start to tinker with systems, you have no idea of the impact you may generate.  The Colonial Pipeline hack created all kinds of strife in different business sectors and also affected millions of individuals.  Ransomware is an example of the old adage of throwing a stone into a lake and you have no idea where all the ripples go or what they do.  Our systems are now so interconnected and oftentimes so dependent on one another that taking one down can very well result in taking others... and sometimes LOTS of others.

So, the good news here is that a task force of law enforcement entities from both the U.S. and internationally, have worked to take down Hive.  According to Lisa Monaco the US Deputy Attorney General "Simply put, using lawful means, we hacked the hackers."  There is a certain amount of poetic justice there, especially since it is coming from the Justice Department.

Of course, we'll probably never get all the details of how they did this.  And, despite the best efforts of law enforcement, there will be another ransomware gang to take their place.  However, I'm glad to see this effort.  Ransomware has a horrible impact on things and it needs to be limited in scope.  I doubt it will ever be eliminated totally.

There is a great write up on this on cnn.com which you can find here.

DGShape DWX-42W Mill Continues to Impress

 

I've received some inquiries on my continuing adventure with the DGShape DWX-42W wet mill, so I thought I would post some info on how well our experience has been going.

The DWX-42W is one of the best things we've added to the practice.  The learning curve was short, the restorations are stunning, and the device is an absolute workhorse.  Scratch that, maybe I should say this thing is a *beast*.

By that, I mean that it is durable and reliable. Mechanically we have had zero problems.  I am impressed with the durability the mill has displayed.  In our 10 months with it, all we have had to do is replace some burs and change filters (both of these items are part of routine disposables/maintenance). 

We have paired the machine with exocad design software to design the restorations.

The crowns, inlays, and onlays that the mill produces are incredible!  When we first started with the mill I went so far as to have 2 restorations fabricated for several of our first cases.  The idea was to give me the opportunity to compare lab fabricated versus mill fabricated crowns and I would then permanently place the one that I liked best.  The staff provided them to me in a blinded manner so that I wouldn't know which was which.  In that brief evaluation of ten crowns, I could not distinguish one from the other, even evaluating them at 5.0x magnification.

As someone who had been evaluating the entire CAD/CAM landscape for a while, I have been very pleased with the benefits.  We are making fewer temporaries which means patients get the benefit of not having to wear them, have them come off, or breaking them.  Obviously this is a nice benefit of same day delivery.

We also have cases that, for scheduling of patients who need a shorter appointment, we are doing "next day" care.  This means that the crowns are milled the same day, but bonded next day.  That, of course, means that even though the patient wears a temp, it is a *much* shorter amount of time to put up with one

Acceptance by patients has been tremendous.  Once word got out of our ability to create a lot of cases in-house, we began to get phone calls and in office patient requests.  That of course then translated to more phone calls and even more in office patient requests.

Our experience has been tremendous.  The DWX-42W is *highly recommended*.  

OrthoNu® Drives Orthodontic Office Efficiencies, and Redefines Patient Oral Care with Launch of Tweakz® for Braces and Aligners

 

OrthoNu® today announced the launch of Tweakz® for Braces and Tweakz® for Aligners, ushering in an entirely new category of products specifically designed to meet the needs of orthodontic patients. The Tweakz tools are designed as an oral self-care solution to address the most common orthodontic emergencies in between visits. By addressing manageable discomforts at home until the next scheduled appointment, Tweakz keeps disruptions to a minimum for the practice and patients, which creates office efficiencies and growth opportunities.

An average practice experiences 8-10 emergency visits every day, with each visit costing an office $100 on average. Broken brackets and cutting distal ends account for 99% of braces emergencies. Rough edges and removal of overly retentive trays account for 92% of aligner emergencies. These visits cause great discomfort and interruption for patients and caregivers.

Designed by an Orthodontist, OrthoNu Tweakz 4-in-1 self-care tools are patient-friendly, professional grade, driven by science, and developed from professional tools that are trusted.

“The OrthoNu line of self-care orthodontic products focuses on emergency care, oral hygiene, oral aesthetics, and oral health, reducing the sizeable impact of emergency visits and elevating the patient experience,” said Dr. Sima Yakoby Epstein, OrthoNu Founder and CEO. “Tweakz provides orthodontists with proper tools and solutions to meet these urgent patient needs when they occur, while helping expand patient self-care capabilities, comfort, and confidence.”

Tweakz for Braces feature:

● Flush Distal End Cutter: Eliminates sharp wires by cutting and holding the cut wire piece for

safety

● Dental Pick: Removes broken or dislodged brackets with ease (self-ligating or conventional) and

food interproximally between teeth and appliances

● Rubber Band Applicator: Removes and replaces rubber bands with ease

● Diamond Dental File: Smooths out rough spots on brackets and hooks

Tweakz for Aligners feature:

● Dental Pick: Removes food and debris interproximally

● Rubber Band Applicator: Removes and replaces rubber bands with ease

● Aligner Remover: Removes retentive aligners

● Diamond Dental File: Smooths out rough spots on aligners

Tweakz tools come in a travel case with mirror and are available now to order at www.OrthoNu.com.

“With Tweakz tools, we can provide our patients with safe self-care solutions, at the beginning of their treatment, to address the most common orthodontic emergencies while at home or on-the-go, and in between office visits. Tweakz are truly a welcomed advancement for the industry that will save practices time and expenses resulting from emergency visits,” said Dr. Jamie Reynolds, Reynolds Orthodontics.  For more information about OrthoNu including to see What’s #NU4U, please visit www.OrthoNu.com.

About OrthoNu®

OrthoNu is focused on driving innovation in oral care to support both patient experience and practice efficiencies. OrthoNu is creating a new category of professional-grade, self-care products, including its hero product Tweakz® for Braces and Aligners, for patients, redefining the orthodontic standard of care. With an advisory board of industry leaders and developing partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine and the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD),  OrthoNu is committed to advancing the science of oral health, which has a significant role in improving overall health.

California Dental Association Files New Legal Action Against Delta Dental of California

 

Here is some very interesting news.  The good people at the California Dental Association have decided to pursue legal action against Delta Dental of California.  When it comes to legal issues, I like to let people make up their own minds on things, but here is the "quick summary" on the issue that CDA has on its website.  And please take notice of the terms "nonprofit" and "tax exempt" below.

Quick Summary:

Legal action filed against Delta Dental of California challenges Delta Dental’s adjustments to Premier and PPO provider agreements that took effect Jan. 1. CDA alleges that the board of directors of Delta Dental, a nonprofit, tax-exempt company, violated its fiduciary duties by, among other things, failing to conduct appropriate analysis of the need for and impact of the contract changes to Delta Dental’s provider network and patients. CDA's FAQ and other resources can assist members now and keep them updated on the next steps.

I find it interesting that a "nonprofit" and "tax exempt" entity somehow feels the need to lower its reimbursement to providers.

For all the details from CDA, you can follow this link.  

 If you are interested in reading the actual twenty-nine page legal complaint, you can find it here in pdf format.

ADA Amends the CDT Defintion of Ceramic - Printed Restorations are Now Billable

 

In the world of healthcare, it is extremely important to bill for what you do.  In dentistry that is especially true when it comes to billing for fixed prosthetics (that is crowns & bridges if you don't speak dentistry).  There are several CDT Codes that apply toward the materials used to create fixed prosthetics and it is important to use the correct one.

That is one of the reasons why the new definition from the ADA is so ground breaking.  Up until this point, there really wasn't a code that would allow for billing (and thus insurance reimbursement) for a crown that was created by a 3D printer.

3D printing in dentistry has been steadily growing for at least the last 5 years.   I began to really notice offices exploring this technology during the 2020 Covid lockdown which allowed me more time online to explore trends, comments, info from manufacturers, and other sources of data.

The Holy Grail of 3D printing has always been permanent restorations.  Now don't get me wrong, 3D printing has multiple applications in dentistry and all of them are terrific.  We have been using 3D printers in my office for years and we absolutely *love* what we can accomplish with them.  However, that being said, the really big deal is to print permanent restorations. 

About a year ago, resins started to appear on the market that could be used to do just that.  At long last, resins were available to allowed doctors to print indirect fixed prosthetics.  The only problem in that equation was the one that dealt with the doctor getting paid for it.  A doctor can use whatever material they feel is the best or appropriate for a given situation, but third party payers (meaning insurance companies) will only reimburse for certain codes.  Without going into great detail about the entire billing procedure, suffice it to say that CDT (Common Dental Terminology) codes are intrinsic to the payment process when dealing with dental insurance.  So, while the doctor could create a printed restoration, they couldn't get paid for it.  The patient, of course, could choose to pay out of pocket for that restoration, but that sort of defeats the entire idea of having dental insurance in the first place.

That's why this amendment to the definition of "Ceramic" is so exciting.  

According to SprintRay:

In the past, “Ceramic” was defined as: “…pressed, fired, polished or milled materials containing predominantly inorganic refractory compounds including porcelains, glasses, ceramics and glass-ceramics.” The new definition eliminates “pressed, fired, polished or milled materials”. The deletion of the manufacturing criteria from the definition of porcelain/ceramic opens the door to permanent restorations printed with predominantly inorganic refractory compounds.

This means that now 3D printing is finally accepted for billing purposes.

SprintRay is a great 3D printing company that deals exclusively with the dental industry.  I've been working with them since I started 3D printing in my office and have had a great experience with them.  If you'd like to learn more about this whole change of CDT definition and what it means, SprintRay has a page dedicated to this info.  Check it out by following this link.   Exciting things are about to happen!

Orascoptic Announces Ergo Loupe - and a Discount!

 

The idea of using magnification to better support your posture is not a new one.  In fact, one of the great things about magnification as an operator is the benefit it brings to your neck and back.

Now Orascoptic has made available what I call "declination" telescopes.  The concept is that the operator sits up perfectly straight and the telescope bends.  The Ergo allows you to sit straight with your eyes straight ahead while the scope shows what your hands are doing.  I've got to think it is a similar way that surgeons work off of a monitor in the OR.

I've been using the Ergo for about a month now (I got a pair to test in advance of the launch) and I really like them.  If you are already using magnification on a daily basis, they do take some adjusting to.  You have to train yourself to look straight ahead and NOT at your hands... which is what you do with traditional setups.  The learning curve exists, but I found it was a short one.

A quick note as far as adaptation... I started out in the late 90s with a 2.5x flip up, but I would not recommend a flip up in today's environment.  I had a bad habit of flipping the mag up and then twisting myself around for direct vision.  That was something that I got away from as my clinical skill got better, but in addition to that, TTL (through the lens) setups are much more clear and provide better field of view.

The Ergo is currently available in 3.5x which is the most popular magnification in dentistry and works really well in this configuration.  Orascoptic has amazing clarity in their optics, which is why I've been a fan of theirs for years.

The setup that I've been using is the Ergo telescopes mounted in the Dragonfly frame.  

The Ergo is available now and Orascoptic is currently offering a $200 discount for a limited time.  Head over to Orascoptic.com for more information.

The Mac Malware of 2022 👾 A Comprehensive Analysis of the Year's New Malware

 

As a fairly dedicated Mac user, I've grown to appreciate all of the cool things that Apple has provided to folks over the years.   I've been at this for so long, that I can remember the iconic "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC" commercials.  Back then, we didn't really worry much about Mac malware simply because there wasn't a huge number of Macs in use.  It was much easier for criminals to go after the low hanging fruit with the huge number of Windows machines in use.

Now, not so much.  Things have changed and Mac malware is a real thing.

Thankfully we have Patrick Wardle and his project, affectionately called "Objective-See".  Patrick is a world class, and frankly world famous, programmer, hacker, and security expert.  I'm also proud to call him a friend.

Through his work with Objective-See (a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation), he designs and provides for free tools that monitor the Mac operating system for all kinds of bad stuff.  He requests, but does not require, support through Patreon to help with his work... and I highly recommend that you do so.  I do.

Recently, Patrick released his analysis of Mac Malware for the year past.  2022 was a fairly prolific year for the bad guys and Patrick has created a very detailed blog post about these baddies.  He also routinely posts to his blog about all kinds of security issues in the Mac World.

Patrick is truly one of the "good guys" in the computer security world.  He has found bugs in major platforms (Zoom is one that I can recall) that he has called to a company's attention and helped them fix.

If you are a Mac user, you need to be aware of the work done by Objective-See and you for sure need to be using their tools.  The entire list of these free Mac security apps can be found here.  

There are not many people out there who can do the things Patrick can do and when you combine that simple fact with the *remarkable* fact that he does this FOR FREE, it is a win-win for those of us who are users but not capable of fending off malware without expert help.  That is why I *highly recommend* supporting Patrick's work by helping fund it through Patreon.  Your support will help him continue to develop and freely distribute his security tools.

So enjoy the blog post on the 2022 Malware and be sure to use the free tools Patrick has developed.

Dentulu and Pearl Partnership Brings Clinical AI to Teledentistry

 

Over the past 5 years or so, I have consulted and worked with a few companies that have looked at bringing Artificial Intelligence into to profession of dentistry.  Because of my work in that tech space, I quickly became enamored with ability to have an objective second party view x-rays and offer an opinion.  Back then the interfaces were "kludgy" at best.  Getting the images loaded and analyzed took an unacceptable amount of time, but the results were amazing!

That's the thing about my work in the early stages of a tech development.  You can *see* the future, but you can't get there quite yet.  My work on these types of systems are always time limited.  Companies have me looking at solutions and offering my opinions and recommendations, but at the end of the contract, they move on to continue their development and hopefully can incorporate some of my suggestions.

I have been in love with the concept of A.I. in dentistry since I first became aware of it.  ANYTHING that provides accurate data to help the doctor make decisions is something I'm in favor of.  In fact, I'm so smitten with the concept, that I recently became a Pearl client.  I find this especially interesting for me since I didn't actually work with Pearl in any capacity prior to signing up.  However, my experience in consulting with A.I. companies put me in a good spot to gauge what was a superior product and what wasn't.  To that end, I chose Pearl based on a lot of reasons, but one of them was the incredible number of FDA Clearances the company received.  Pearl has worked hard to create a really solid platform.

I also like the idea that the gentleman who founded the company is the son of a dentist.  That gives the company a perspective of what it's like to be "in the trenches".  I am also glad to support a company that is not trying to see their platform to third party payers.  Some A.I. companies are marketing to insurance companies with the sales pitch being A.I. can be used to help deny claims.  I refuse to support a company that is trying to generate revenue from both sides of the equation.  Pearl is NOT doing that and I want to emphasize that decision is critical to industry acceptance by doctors.

I'm also a fan of teledentistry.  Our society has a phenomenal healthcare system and, due to that, U.S. citizens are living longer.  However, with a longer lifespan, people will also require a better support system for their oral care.  That's where teledentistry comes in.  As people age, they aren't as mobile and often rely on others for transportation.  It is going to become much more important for auxiliary personnel to go into care facilities to collect data and then relay that to doctors.  This means that x-rays and photos will need to sent to doctors who can then decide courses of treatment to provide the patient with the best care possible for them.

That's why I'm excited about Pearl and Dentulu partnering to provide this type of tech integration.  Here are all the details:

Dentulu, the leading Teledentistry network and two-time Cellerant “Best of Class” Teledentistry Technology winner, has partnered with Pearl, the 2022 “Best of Class” AI Technology winner, to enable Dentulu’s Teledentists to achieve the highest level of diagnostic performance while elevating the patient experience with the most powerful AI-backed dental software on the market. Pearl’s Second Opinion® is the only clinical AI software with regulatory clearance as a patient-facing radiologic aid to dentists for detection of numerous dental conditions. Dentulu users will be able to apply the full range of Second Opinion® capabilities across the imagery they capture, upload, and store on Dentulu.

“Dentulu’s mission to provide transparent, innovative, and comprehensive care to our patients aligns with Pearl’s ongoing advancements and contributions within the dental industry, and we are proud to offer this technology to the thousands of patients and providers that utilize our platform across the nation,” said Dr. Arash Hakhamian, CEO of Dentulu. “Second Opinion® was recently featured on TIME’s list of inventions that deliver groundbreaking impact on consumers and society as a whole, and falls perfectly in line with Dentulu’s mission to integrate the best of the best from the dental industry within its dental ecosystem.”

In 2022, Second Opinion® became the first-and-only chairside AI radiologic aid authorized by the FDA to read both bitewing and periapical x-rays of adult teeth in patients as young as 12 years old. Prior to this Pearl-Dentulu partnership, Pearl’s AI technology has only been available to brick-and-mortar dentists, who utilize its advanced capabilities in real-time as a patient-facing radiologic aid in the dental operatory.

“AI is a transformative dental technology not only because it elevates the standard of care, but also because it has the potential to democratize access to higher quality dentistry,” said Pearl CEO and founder, Ophir Tanz. “Our partnership with Dentulu represents an important step forward for dental care in the digital era, because together we are realizing that democratizing potential by bringing the benefits of AI beyond the dental office to any patient with an internet connection.”

Dentulu has established innovative marketing channels with companies like Walgreens and LG televisions to provide new ways for patients to experience Teledentistry and access to dental services. Patients can access Dentulu Teledentists on their mobile phones, tablets, computers, and even smart televisions, where they will be able to upload radiographs and intraoral pictures to receive virtual consultations and second opinions from licensed dentists. Dentists and care coordinators will now be able to leverage findings from Pearl’s Second Opinion® to validate their recommendations with patients. When patients are referred for an in-person evaluation at a local dental office, they can share the AI findings and be better prepared and educated on what to expect.

The two companies expect to launch their partnership in Q1 of 2023.

About Dentulu

Dentulu is a nationwide Teledentistry network helping provide innovative dental solutions to patients across the United States. They are the inventors of the MouthCam consumer intra-oral camera and operate the world’s most comprehensive HIPAA compliant Teledentistry platform. Dentulu is founded and backed by leading dental professionals and also provides a B2B ecosystem where it features the best dental companies on its professional provider marketplace. For more information or to partner with Dentulu, please visit https://www.dentulu.com

About Pearl

Pearl is leading the global dental AI revolution with groundbreaking computer vision solutions that elevate efficiency, accuracy and the standard of care in dentistry. In 2022, its Second Opinion® AI software became the first-and-only real-time chairside pathology detection aid cleared by the FDA to help dentists detect multiple conditions in patient x-rays. For more information or to request a demonstration, please visit https://www.hellopearl.com.

More Industry Warnings Regarding "Royal" Ransomware

 As you can see by scrolling down and seeing my last post, last week I became aware of a new ransomware that is targeting the Healthcare sector in the U.S.  The ransomware is named "Royal" and it has been making quite a few headlines in the last few days.

Recently I was notified in an email from the Academy of General Dentistry about Royal.  That email mentioned a couple of links and I wanted to pass those along to those of you who want to become better educated about Royal.

The first link is to a page on the website of the ADA (American Dental Association).  The page gives some details about Royal as well as "Best Practices" for avoiding ransomware.

The second is a ink to Becker's Dental Review, which has a link to further info while also listing some good stuff to know about Royal.

3D Scanner Company Medit is to be Acquired for $2 Billion

 

The digital intraoral scanner market is growing in leaps and bounds.  About the time that computer processing power allowed CBCT companies to make amazing leaps forward in 3D digital x-ray technology, the same happened for digital impressions.

Suddenly digital impressions were taken using video and incredible high resolution imaging hardware.  It's been a similar, though faster, process than digital radiography.  What I mean by that is once someone starts doing digital impressions, they never want to go back to analogue ever again.

The last survey we did at Dental Products Report showed a current market penetration of almost 30% meaning we are way past the point of the early adopters.

And if you needed any MORE convincing that digital intraoral scanners are exploding, look no further than the recent announcement from South Korea that Medit, the third largest company in that market, is being acquired for $2 billion dollars.

Medit has made a name for themselves by selling a good, solid performing unit at a price lower than most competitors.  Medit devices don't usually have all the bells and whistles that more expensive competitors have, but the company gives doctors great clinical results while also allowing those doctors to get into this market sector on a budget.

I've been into digital impressions for well over a decade now and I can tell you that investing in one of these devices is something I highly recommend.

For the full low down, here is an article that appeared in the Korea Economic Daily...  

A New Threat Attacks the US Healthcare Sector - Royal Ransomware

In the world we now exist in, security is simply part of what we have to deal with.  Along those lines, I try to do my part to keep others in the healthcare sector apprised of potential threats.  Today's post deals with a new potential threat.

I do my best to try and keep up with all things techy, but it isn't always easy, especially when it comes to security.  So my initial apologies to readers for this info being out for about a month and escaping my notice.

I recently became aware of an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding a new ransomware referred to as "Royal".  One of the responsibilities of HHS is to help the healthcare sector stay informed of security threats.  To help in that regard, the agency has a division called Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (H3C).  

On December 3, 2022 the H3C released an "analyst note" regarding a new ransomware group and a new ransomware threat called "Royal".  Each ransomware variant is unique so while the end result of encrypting a victim's data is the same, the way it is performed is specific to the software doing so.  Royal is designed to attach Windows systems.  The ransomware encrypts the user data, but before that, the perpetrators will copy and export all kinds of files in hopes to also provide blackmail motivation by threatening to post the data online. 

While I am by NO means an expert in the subject of ransomware, I do know enough to be aware of the problems these things can cause.  To that end, make sure to keep your systems up to date with all available software patches and do not open any email attachments without verifying their authenticity.

The H3C "Analyst Note", in pdf format, can be accessed via this link.  If you are so inclined to learn more about Royal, there are some links in that pdf that will connect you to some security expert websites that will give you plenty of info.

2021 Dental Spending was up According to ADA Statistics

 While I don't think this statistic is Earth shattering, I do think it bears reinforcing to folks in the profession.  In 2021 there was greater spending for dental services than in the years preceding the 2020 appearance of Covid-19.

I know that we certainly noticed that in our office.  It seemed to me that with folks being cooped up due to shelter at home rulings... paired with things like entertainment expenses being saved there was a definite interest in doing something good for yourself.  We actually saw several folks who came in as new patients that had been putting off dental work for years who were excited to take care of their needs.

However, me talking about it isn't much of a reliable data point.  One of the things that I love about the ADA (and a reason I've been a member since before I graduated) is simply that they represent dentistry and can provide incredible insights into the profession.  Lately, the association's statisticians have been hard at work sending out surveys that they can compile into salient data points.  What they have discovered is that what we saw in our office was not a strange statistical aberration.

It seems that, yes, spending DID go up for dental needs once folks could get back out into civilization and begin to again live their lives.  Things are now starting to head back down into their normal ranges again, but I still think there is a lot we can learn about dental spending.

I'm not sure if this information is only available to members or not, but you can see the info by following this link.  If the info IS behind a paywall, you should just go ahead and pay your dues.  The ADA is the unified voice for dentistry in America and they deserve our support.

Sticky Password Announces Enhancement to Premium Subscription by Partnering with ARC

 

I've been a big fan of Sticky Password (as well as a customer) for quite a few years.  The company provides a very robust password manager program.  I'm especially impressed with their Premium Subscription model that gives you one user for a lifetime and currently only costs $79.99 or if you want to go with a one year subscription you can do so for only $29.99

The best part of the Premium Subscription is that the company is now offering a one year FREE subscription to Dark Web Monitoring powered by ARC.  This is a product from Crossword Cybersecurity.

If you are looking for a resolution for 2023, might I recommend downloading and using Sticky Password?  Security of your logins, passwords, and identity is a subject that I am very passionate about.  You cannot be too security conscious!

The world we live in is rife with security risks and it is imperative to be as vigilant as possible when it comes to username and password hygiene.  This is where ARC comes in.  Often when login credentials are hacked or stolen from large companies, the criminals will steal massive amounts of login info which they will then post on the Dark Web.  Sometimes the criminals are hoping to sell the data while other time it is simply posted for anyone to download.  ARC constantly crawls and monitors looking for such data troves.  IF your data is leaked, you are notified as soon as the data is available.  This allows YOU the user to be able to change your credentials before any nefarious party can use it and access your account.

This protection is now integrated into the Premium version of Sticky Password and the first year is free.

Sticky Password is a great password manager program that I personally use and rely on.  In addition to the Dark Web monitoring now offered through ARC, Sticky Password also offers the following features:

• Remembers passwords and logins
• Automatically fills out forms and logs you in
• Generates super strong passwords
• Keeps your credit card data safe
• Lets you securely share passwords and logins wit others
• Works on all devices and in most browsers
• Syncs your data across all of your devices
• Protects notes that you can make and want to keep private

The company also donates money to save endangered manatees.  This program is robust, easy to use, and *highly* recommended.  You can also download and try a free version.  Give it a try and I think you'll like this program.  Anyone that does not have a password manager in today's environment is putting their data and their identity at risk.  Download Sticky Password and give it a try.