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29th October 2024
Thinking about the complexities of cyber security for lawyers and their legal firms involves first looking at the wider picture of cyber security across all industries and spaces. In the modern business world, there is so much written about the advancing threats and increasing complexities of cyber-attacks that it can often feel overwhelming and generic, with a one-size-fits-all approach that suggests these incidents remain random and disparate.
Unfortunately, the sophisticated nature of these threats has shown that the majority of cyber-crime is well researched and planned, with a staggering 75% of all attempts being targeted attacks. These targets are inevitably chosen for the nature of their business, the types of personal data that can be used as leverage for ransom and the levels of confidentiality that any protected information holds.
It will come as no surprise then that the legal sector is a prime target for cyber-attacks, and cyber security for lawyers requires dedicated and experienced attention to stay protected. A report by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) showed that 75% of the top 100 law firms in the UK had experienced some kind of impact from a cyber-attack in 2023. That represented a 36% increase from the previous year, and the trend continues on an upward trajectory.
If client legal information is exposed, the reputational damage can be so crippling that it becomes incredibly difficult to restore to pre-attack levels and can even signal a business-ending event.
The real challenge in any cyber security strategy is staying ahead of the curve across any imminent or developing threat. The days of a one-size-fits-all software for network protection is over. This has been replaced with the need for continuous dedicated and iterative services that are monitored, planned, and reacted to by a professional cyber security partner.
Working alongside a cyber security partner allows firms to align their overall strategy and growth development with bespoke protection that matches and pre-empts the threat landscapes of the legal industries. A one-off solution is never good enough.
The complexities and ongoing developments involved in cyber security for legal firms require constant attention. Taking care of your business, and the people within it, will always be your priority so it makes sense to hand the responsibility of cyber security to expert partners that you can trust and communicate with as part of your team. It takes the headache away and keeps you up to speed with what is expected from everybody involved.
Given their established status as high-value targets, cyber security for legal firms must involve a long-term strategy that attends to every possible vulnerability. They will potentially be under daily attack from thousands of bad actors all over the globe and therefore their cyber security requires constant maintenance and development for the most robust and resilient security measures to be applied.
These threats can be categorised into several streams that allow a tailored approach to each, while maintaining a fully holistic and comprehensive overall security posture. Taking the time to understand each of the common threats is a great way to begin talking about cyber security for lawyers and the wider team. This information can easily be shared across all stakeholders and team members in any legal firm.
Phishing attacks remain the most popular and effective format for cyber-crime. This deceptively simple strategy of attack is built on the two key components of human error and engineered urgency, that can be applied at any level within a business at any time.
Billions of potentially malicious emails are sent every day and statistics from IBM show that a staggering 95% of cyber security breaches are traced back to people interacting with these threats in the wrong way.
Phishing works by attackers impersonating legitimate organisations or individuals with communications most commonly through email. The language in these emails is built to elicit rapid responses with a sense of urgency and danger, preying on the high stress situations of the businesses that are targeted. The goal is usually to guide legal teams into clicking a link or opening an attachment that can then roll out damaging malware that spreads across the whole firm’s IT environment. With Trainee Solicitors working closely with external associates on a heavy workload too, this kind of attack can be a real challenge in everyday practice.
With cyber security for legal firms, there are also some developed variants of phishing that must always be considered too:
The threat from ransomware for legal firms is due to the amount and sensitivity of the data that their IT systems contain. Elements of personal, financial and intellectual property information are all stored, processed and shared between internal and external addresses during almost every case.
In a ransomware attack, the cyber-threat initially comes from a vulnerability in the target’s infrastructure or a victim falling foul of a phishing email. Any data that is compromised is then encrypted by the attacker to make it unusable by the legal firm. Whole databases, files, contract details and even emails are locked until a ransom is paid for their return.
The legal space sits alongside healthcare and finance as particular targets for ransomware attacks. With figures from Fortinet showing that total global ransom payments in 2023 exceeded one billion dollars, the stakes are high.
There is, of course, also no guarantee that paying the ransom restored all these victims to the position they were before the attack, so effective cyber security for legal firms must seek to stop any threat before it impacts.
Insider threats present a complicated challenge around cyber security for lawyers. These are the security risks from employees, contractors and associates with the authorisation to access and share confidential material without having to bypass any external security measures. It would be easy to assume that insider threats only refer to the calculated actions of individuals that are operating in an intentionally harmful way. But the reality, once again, is that human error and negligence can often be involved too.
Information from a Gartner report of 2023 suggests that 60% of organisations faced some kind of insider threat. And with the trend rising year on year, it seems that stricter measures must be taken to combat the threats in the most secure way. Although some of these measures are concerned with company culture and team training, there are always improvements on IT infrastructure resilience that can be applied.
It makes sense to categorise how insider threats can arise to provide the greatest foundation against them.
It’s no secret that your people are effectively your business. Occasionally, they may be coerced by external sources to steal, leak or share confidential material for financial gain or other advantages. It isn’t uncommon for ex-employees that still have access to systems to attempt this too, particularly if they didn’t leave under amicable circumstances. While grand espionage and commercial sabotage may not be the driver for most of these events, there is more vulnerability for credential theft and access to higher security levels from people inside the company, or those that once worked there.
Unfortunately, the mundane is much more prevalent than the malicious for insider threats. Misconfigured systems, information sent to the incorrect recipient, weak passwords and software not being updated all loom high on the list of avoidable vulnerabilities to exploit
If a data breach does occur then everything, including the bottom line of a legal firm, takes a major hit. Operationally, all activity can easily and quickly grind to a halt with vital data used for everyday tasks lost, compromised or locked from use.
With such stringent financial regulation required in the legal space, it could also come with hefty fines to pay too. This industry, long rooted in client confidentiality and data security, has become a prime target for cybercrime due to the substantial rewards for bad actors. And the consequences can leave reputations and prospects in tatters for those that fall victim to it.
The most robust cyber security for legal firms involves a top-down strategy that begins with prevention, addresses the roles of its people and introduces the most appropriate protocols for safety.
With the rise of remote working and the proliferation of devices that employees complete their work tasks on, authorising access is more challenging than ever.
Regular and thorough vulnerability assessments carried out by internal and external sources are essential in determining how effective your cyber security strategies and protocols are. Any cyber security gaps, outdated tools or procedures or inefficient hardware can then be highlighted and addressed to elevate your overall network security.
Penetration testing is one trusted way of exposing any vulnerabilities against the current and emerging threat landscape before they can be exploited. This involves creating cyberthreat scenarios in a controlled environment to see how your infrastructure would perform, then quickly taking remedial measures for any issues that arise.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) determines how cyber security must demonstrate compliance with the professional and ethical standards that they require of any legal firm.
Evidence of how the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 is adhered to across all data, information and digital processes must be fully documented. These ensure that data is stored, processed and handled in the right way with any breach reported with a 72-hour timeframe for accountability.
Further recommendation and guidance from The Law Society details how encryption, access control and regular assessment capability should also be demonstrated through cyber security for lawyers and their teams.
The very best way to create robust cyber security for legal firms is through the education of its people. Awareness of what to look out for, how to react and who to inform should form the basis of any strategy. Regular training and involvement with programs such as the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials accreditation scheme are the perfect way of embedding this within your company.
Knowing what to do and how to do it during any crisis is essential. Creating a comprehensive plan across your entire company of the steps to take during a cyber security event helps avoid any actions that can make the situation worse. Working with a cyber security partner to author this plan will ensure that the reaction is up to date and fit for purpose.
Identifying people for key roles within a designated Incident Response Team also allows the responsibility to be shared across the organisation with an understanding of roles and impact for all involved.
It’s vital that the tools used to prevent and protect against cyber-attacks are updated alongside the evolving threats. Only by rolling out automated and manual software updates as appropriate can you guarantee that you have the latest working versions at your disposal. A regularly updated system is ultimately the most secure one.
Regular patch management also allows you to address any emerging vulnerabilities with the correct testing, deployment and monitoring.
The advent and developments in AI have impacted every aspect of business technology, and lawyers are getting ahead of their competition by embracing artificial intelligence for law firms. Ensuring robust cyber security for lawyers is essential for implementing an AI roadmap into your firm. Your cyber security partner should ensure that your security foundations are watertight before fully optimising AI and machine learning, to keep your firm protected.
BCN has been at the forefront of cyber security on behalf of our client partners for over two decades. The innovative cyber security products we implement are always thoroughly researched, stress-tested and optimised to ensure they deliver the most secure solution.
Our dedication to the most valuable cyber security journey for legal firms is evident in the BCN Cyber Security Pledge. We have set the goal to have 100% of our customers at the recommended level of cyber security by the end of 2024 through solutions, support, and technology that are unique to every client and company.
You can learn all about how we tackle the ongoing cyber security threats from our client stories here. The BCN cyber security team are ready and waiting to speak security with your firm and can get you booked in for an initial cyber security review to get started.
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