Cyber Security for Legal Firms

Cyber security services for Law Firms

Law firms have always been a trusted service provider for clients over many years. A key function of this trust is that they hold sensitive client information, much of which is very sensitive. It is therefore a duty by the law firm to ensure that this information is kept protected and safe from unauthorised access and potential cyber security breaches.

There are however other things that law firms need to be aware of, including;

• Ensuring compliance with data security legislation
• Changes such as GDPR need to be considered
• Keeping client data safe and secure
• Sensitive data, information, any correspondence between firm and clients, etc
• Ensuring legacy systems remain secure
• An easy source to corrupt, legacy systems need regular security patches and updates
• Detecting and dealing with cyber security attacks and breaches
• What areas have been breached? What information is easier to get access to? These are just some of the questions that firms need to ask themselves.

Organisations of all types need to be aware of the cyber attacks that they face.

In fact it has almost become an inevitable part of running a business today.

• In 2021 the average number of attacks / breaches increased by 15.1% over the previous year.
• There are over 4,000 cyber-attacks every day. That’s 170 attacks every hour, or nearly three attacks every minute.
• Cyber-attacks against law firms are rising with 73 of the UK top 100 targeted.
• The concentration of cyber-attacks against law firms was highest among larger organisations, with 90% of the top 25 law firms experiencing a threat.

Security Challenges Facing the Legal Sector

Examples of cyber attacks on legal firms include:

• Email hijacking is where criminals hack into a firm’s email server to intercept and send false emails to clients, usually to change bank details, is the biggest threat to law firms.
• Email hijacking makes up 80% of cyber crimes reported to the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) in the second quarter of 2018. Nearly £11 million of client money was stolen through cyber fraud in 2017.
• Phishing attacks: Attempts to access sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy source via email.
• Spear-phishing campaigns: An email fraud attempt that targets a specific organisation and appears to be from an individual or business that you know.
• Ransomware attacks: Encryption of devices preventing access until ransom is paid.

How attacks and security breaches harm legal firms

• Reputational damage which can affect how the firm is viewed, loss of clients or issues in attracting new customers.
• Loss of clients which can impact the bottom line and the stable running of the legal firm.
• Theft of client assets and possibly money
• Disruption of business continuity which can cost legal cases, processing documents and even communicating with other firms in civil and criminal law cases.
• Continuing data access issues which can slow down many of the day-to-day functions of the business.
• Data recovery costs and time.

Some of the typical vulnerabilities in law firms include

• Increasing use of personal devices by staff (e.g. smartphones)
• Staff working from home using personal systems which are generally unprotected and easier to break into.
• Inadequate staff training in cyber security and cyber security awareness. From phishing attacks to data access requests.
• Poor cyber security precautions and procedures. What happens if your staff have noticed an attack? Who do they go to?
• Legacy IT systems with known vulnerabilities.
• Law firms are high value targets for cybercriminals.

Some of the various cybersecurity threats that legal firms need to protect themselves from:

• Cybercriminals including organised crime groups.
• Terrorist groups
• Industrial spies
• Hacktivists
• Hackers
• Insider threats (malicious and non-malicious).

Questions You Should be Able to Answer

Whether you receive intentional or unintentional cyber attacks, you should be able to assess what the security threats are to your law firm and what it means in order to protect you and your systems.

• What are the top cyber security concerns faced by your business? Have you analysed the risks to your business? What is the potential impact this has if you suffered an attack?
• What resources are allocated to deal with these concerns? Have you budgeted to update your systems? Who is in charge of making these changes?
• Who has access to sensitive data? What level of security is involved in getting into these files?
• How are staff accessing shared / sensitive data? (Devices / security checks). What protections are on these systems?
• How frequently are existing cyber security defences re-assessed / tested?
• Is all sensitive data securely backed up on a regular basis?
• What model of cyber security are you using? When was the last update issued? Have the systems been recently updated?
• Are staff adequately prepared for cyber security attacks and threats?

Why choose Bluefort Security?

Bluefort are leaders in cybersecurity systems in the UK. WIth experience in private owned businesses and public sector institutions, Bluefort has all the capabilities of helping advise and develiver on your cyber security needs.

Whether it is designing cyber security systems, providing assessments, consultations or simply handing over the needs of the business to get better protected, Bluefort is the choice that every organisation who is serious about their cybersecurity needs to consult.

Working with large organisations such as the NHS, AXA, Samsung, Greater Manchester Police and AVIVA (to name but a few), Bluefort has the knowledge and experience in working with large scale organisations to help build the right solution for your organisation.

Protecting systems is essential, especially when it comes to the law firms. Let the experts who know what they’re doing take care of it for you. Contact us today!