4 reasons why law firms need to prioritise cybersecurity

Attacks on legal firms are on the increase across multiple means

Increasing numbers of cyber-criminals have become aware of the fact that there are rich pickings to be had by targeting organisations in the legal sector. Law firms tend to handle data that is extremely sensitive, either personally or professionally, and financial considerations like fees mean that they routinely handle very large amounts of money. Ransomware and phishing attacks have proved particularly successful against the sector, to name just two of the methods used - but we explored the three main threats in 2022 in this blog.

The motivation of the potential rewards on offer is just one of the things that law firms have to worry about from a security perspective. Attacks are getting bigger and more sophisticated all the time, and by using automated tools to handle much of the work, pulling off major hacks is easier and faster than perhaps it’s ever been before.

Sensitive data held by law firms & the regulations protecting them

Connected to the first point, many cybercriminals have seized upon the fact that the sudden move towards hybrid working has opened up some worryingly large gaps in security that they can exploit.

If employees are working from home using internet connections without enterprise-grade security, or they’re using personal devices to access corporate data and applications, then the task of hacking those employees is far easier. Never before have they been presented such a straightforward opportunity for getting hold of contracts, financial records and intellectual property.

It’s also likely that poorly secured hybrid working will be in breach of regulations such as GDPR that enforce the protection of certain types of data, including clients’ personal information. The penalties of being found non-compliant with these regulations are so severe that they can have a serious material impact on an organisation, both legally and financially.

The firm’s reputation and finances are at risk

It can be easy to underestimate just how damaging a cyber-attack or data breach can be to an organisation. When the costs of repairing systems, losing operational uptime, paying fines, and compensating clients for lost or stolen data are all taken into account, the cost of a breach or ransomware attack can easily run into six or even seven figures for a typical law firm.

And the financial ramifications don’t necessarily stop there. Once word gets round that an organisation has had a data breach, it can quickly gain a reputation that it can’t be trusted to keep sensitive information safe. This can have a major impact on a law firm’s standing in the industry, making it much harder to attract and retain valuable clients, and therefore affecting the bottom line in the longer term. Rebuilding that reputational damage can take a lot of time, too.

Duty to protect clients from malicious attacks and their increasing awareness of the importance of cybersecurity

Every business is at risk of cyber-attack, so clients are just as aware of the ramifications of a breach as law organisations are themselves. Indeed, it could be argued that a breach at a law firm can be even more damaging for the client: it could even destroy all the hard work over years or decades that has helped them progress and grow.

Because of this, clients are increasingly asking more searching questions of the legal teams they hire around the measures in place to keep their sensitive information safe. They expect to see concrete information about threat response plans, detection frameworks, access permissions, identity security and more. Law firms that can’t provide clear and reassuring answers to these questions are highly likely to see potential business walk out of their doors, and through the doors of their competitors.

How Oosha's services ensure that cybersecurity is a priority

Only an expert-led approach to all the security challenges that law firms face today can help keep data protected, and safeguard the operations and profitability of the organisation. Oosha’s Managed Security service delivers just that, through a combination of key cybersecurity tools, and best practices constantly honed through work in several highly regulated industries, including law.

We help firms like yours operate with confidence by:

• Ensuring good education is delivered so that every employee knows how they can work securely
• Securing hybrid work experiences through leading solutions that balance safety and flexibility
• Delivering a managed service that reduces the pressure on in-house IT to keep security and compliance up-to-date