Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a warning to U.S.-based organizations and businesses regarding the increase of ransomware attacks since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, legal firms have become choice targets for cybercriminals that are seeking to profit from the theft and ransom of sensitive data.
While several large firms have suffered attacks, most hackers are concentrating their efforts on the small- to medium-sized organizations that are considered less likely to have strong security programs in place.
Being the victim of a cyber attack can not only affect your data — it can impact your bottom line and your reputation as well, eroding client trust and putting you in jeopardy of non-compliance with data privacy regulations.
Awareness is the first step toward ensuring your firm is protected, followed by the quick implementation and ongoing maintenance of a robust cybersecurity program.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the specifics so you can start protected your firm’s data today.
Why Cybersecurity for Law Firms is Crucial — And How to Implement a Strong Program
As if the legal industry doesn’t have enough on its plate handling large amounts of sensitive data the recent shift to remote work due to COVID-19 has further emphasized the need for cybersecurity. Growing reliance on WiFi, videoconferencing tools, and other digital interfaces has broadened the attack surface, allowing cybercriminals more opportunities to make inroads to data.
While data privacy regulations can vary from state to state, law firms should invest in the most comprehensive cybersecurity protections available to minimize risk and optimize data security.
Here are some things to take into consideration:
Benefits of Backups
In the event of a breach, business continuity is key. Gain this ability by keeping data backed up on a regular basis in several places outside of your primary network. A typical format can be two on-premises servers, one on-premises and one off-premises or cloud server, or both off-premises and cloud, but your IT team can determine which is right for your firm.
Stay Current to Stay Protected
Hacker techniques are always evolving as they move from one technology to the next, testing vulnerabilities and working out weaknesses.
One simple, yet powerful way to keep your firm’s data safe is to ensure that every element of your network — from firmware to software is always updated and patched with the latest releases. If you have a small — or nonexistent — IT department, choose a competent managed services provider (MSP) to ensure these updates are conducted routinely.
Education is the Best Policy
First, your firm should develop a series of policies and access control methods to ensure all employees follow good cyber hygiene practices and that only authorized personnel have access to certain data. Then, periodic training should be conducted to keep cybersecurity in the forefront of everyone’s mind as they conduct their daily business.
To begin, you can have a third-party conduct a risk audit of your networks, infrastructure, and devices to see where your system stands and recommend policies to keep data safer.
Monitor Everything — All the Time
Around-the-clock remote monitoring is a smart way to ensure suspicious activity on your servers, devices, or software is recognized and blocked at the first sign of trouble. This can help prevent issues such as ransomware executing in commonly targeted areas such as the temporary folders of internet browsers or folder in the AppData folder.
Edwards Business Systems Can Help Your Firm Stay Secure
If you are a small- or medium-sized law firm, you may not have the IT resources it takes to adequately protect your — and your clients’ — data. That lack of expertise can leave you vulnerable not only to cyberattack, but also to noncompliance with data privacy laws. At the very least, a breach of data will shake client confidence, ding your reputation, and impact your bottom line.
Fortunately, you don’t have to hire an IT team to take care of cybersecurity. At Edwards Business Systems (EBS), we have IT experts with in-depth cybersecurity knowledge that can help you choose the right technologies and security protocols to address your firms’ specific needs and challenges.
Bring digital security to your in-house and remote legal staff. Contact an EBS representative now and discover how our managed network services team can help protect your data today.