How to Prevent Potentially Disastrous Digital Attacks
As time progresses and technology continues to improve, digital security is becoming just as important as physical security. Some will argue security in the digital realm is more important than security in the tangible realm. Hackers are going to great lengths to breach targeted law firm and attorney data. Targets include multinational corporate law firms, solo practitioners and everyone in between. What might surprise some is that every attorney is fair game.
All Attorneys are Subjected to Digital Attacks
It is no secret the legal industry is heavily targeted by cyber miscreants. What is interesting to note is the attacks are now zeroing in on individual attorneys. It is not just the overarching law firm in the cross hairs. It is also the individual attorneys that work at law firms. Even vendors are being attacked as a means of infiltration. This approach uses the economy of scale against itself and takes advantage of the rapport between the targeted law firm and eDiscovery document systems and/or billing system vendors. This means even those attorneys who have a light case load and are not actively seeking new clients can be devastated by an online attack just as easily as a large law firm. Both types should prepare accordingly or face the consequences.
A new Mode of Attack
The days of thieves knocking down the front door, breaking a glass window or finding another way to breach a law firm office or a business of another sort are fading away. Digital attacks are becoming more common, especially when it comes to businesses like law firms that are trusted with valuable client data. If your law firm website and online client services are not absolutely flawless in terms of digital security, you will be vulnerable to new, highly creative forms of attack. Aside from the fact that law firms have access to highly sensitive client data, law firms are also targeted by hackers as they tend to rely on outdated IT procedures and equipment. Some law firms do not have a full-fledged IT department. This makes them that much more vulnerable to predatory hackers.
It is interesting to note some of the digital attacks mentioned above are contracted jobs. Contracted attacks are that much more difficult to track and identify. Many of these attacks go unsolved. This is precisely why it makes sense to invest in your digital security protections today so you have that much less to worry about in the upcoming months, years and beyond.
