In an article on law-firm cybersecurity that appeared in LawTech News  in June 2017, Ian Lopez said: “According to a recent report from IT security provider LogicForce, hacking attempts were made on over 200 U.S. law firms between 2016 and 2017, 40 percent of which didn’t even know that they had been breached.”

Lopez also repeated a warning from Timothy Murphy, president of Thomson Reuters Special Services, who said at a recent law-firm cybersecurity panel that “This is the most significant threat this country, businesses and law firms face.”

It is easy to assume that it is only large, multinational firms that are vulnerable to cyberattacks – like DLA Piper, whose phones and computers on several continents were out of commission for several days following an attack in early June. However, perpetrators of phishing, ransomware and other hacking strategies are as likely to set their sights on smaller businesses as on major corporations.

Cybersecurity experts agree that instituting basic “cyber hygiene” does not need to be costly or time-consuming, but that it is increasingly essential. I encourage readers of this blog to read Lopez’s article and to institute safe internet protocols before it is too late – and then to actually adhere to the guidelines they set up (90% of firms surveyed by LogicForce did not follow their own cybersafety guidelines!). It is also sound strategy to reassure your corporate clients that you take cyber security seriously – and to consider incorporating their protocols into your strategies as well.

I would be pleased to know your thoughts on this or any other issue relating to the practice of law. You can contact me either through the comments below or directly via email.