Why Law Firms Need to Get Their Cybersecurity House In Order

Overview

Cybersecurity threats are growing and frequently changing. Being unprepared is no longer an option. Breaches are occurring in every industry, and law firms are no exception. A survey conducted by the Law Firm Cybersecurity Scorecard states, “40% of surveyed law firms had experienced a data breach in 2016 and did not know about it.” This staggering statistic does not even include known data breaches. Sensitive information is the backbone of a law firm’s practice. Rightfully, clients demand their sensitive information be secure. But, personal information is always a prime target for cyber attacks. 

Keeping Private Information Private

Law firms are responsible for storing, organizing, and distributing a substantial amount of private information for clients and their cases. According to John Sweeney, President of LogicForce, this information includes, "Business's IP, medical records, bank information, even government secrets. For hackers looking for information they can monetize, there is no better place to start." Breaches in a law firm's system can have both legal and financial consequences. If the legal ramifications aren't enough of a reason to improve your cybersecurity, then the loss of clients will be.

An integrated approach to developing an effective cybersecurity plan includes people, process, and technology. The American Bar Association has published a comprehensive guide to help law firms prevent and respond to cyber attacks. CISOs and CIOs need to consider doing the following:

• Creating data security plans
• Engaging outside IT security experts
• Communicating and enforcing password policies
• Doing weekly sweeps for patches or updates

Technology—a Blessing and a Curse

Technology can be a law firm’s greatest asset or greatest threat. Cybersecurity management is essential to mitigating potential threats. Deciding where and how to start creating a cybersecurity plan can be a headache for CIOs and CISOs who could be spending their time more productively elsewhere.

Our Solution

Cybersecurity can be overwhelming. The Apptega platform is a curated, patented cybersecurity management platform that takes the uncertainty and difficulty out of cybersecurity planning. Learn how organizations of all sizes are using Apptega to make building, managing, and reporting cybersecurity and compliance easy and efficient.

If you would like to talk about how you can simplify your cybersecurity and compliance management, request your free demo today.