While data breach incidents affecting the entertainment, retail, healthcare, and financial industries have garnered more attention in past years, the data breach spotlight recently shifted to law firms.
This shift was triggered by media coverage of the breach and leak of the Panama Papers, and by reports that, in 2015, hackers breached the networks of two well-known and highly-regarded U.S.-based firms, Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Weil, Gotshal & Manges. It also has been reported that a Russian cybercriminal recently attempted to breach the systems of dozens of other major firms, seeking insider information on which to trade.
In light of these risks, law firms should act expediently to safeguard the data under their care and should consider these recommendations for key actions they can take to prevent breaches from occurring and to effectively respond to them if they do.