Securing the law firm
Don C Smith · Computer Fraud & Security · 2015
By the very nature of the industry, law firms handle highly sensitive data and this makes them a target. Legal professionals face serious cyber-security threats precisely because their clients entrust them with such information. This might include personal or financial details, as well as intellectual property and patent information, details about forthcoming mergers, acquisitions or IPOs, and litigation cases. In some instances insider information could be sold for millions, offering substantial rewards for the tech-savvy criminal or criminal gang. Law firms have always played host to sensitive and confidential information from their clients. Today, this data is continually under threat, as cyber-criminals target IT systems to harvest whatever information they can. Law firms are particularly vulnerable, precisely because sensitive information lies at the heart of everything they do. It is the responsibility of both end users and IT professionals to secure the law firm and prevent the most devastating breaches, argues Don Smith of Dell SecureWorks.