Under Attorney-Client Privilege confidential communications must remain secret between parties. Having a data breach can damage this relationship or worse lead to legal action against the law firm itself.
Thus it's self-explanatory why a law firm data breach can prove to be one of the most difficult and stressful times for a firm to go through.
Here's what to do if you've currently suffered a breach as well as preventative measures to put into place going forward.
Data security laws differ from state to state; however in general you are responsible for letting those affected by the data breach know in a reasonable amount of time.
Next find out how the data got out. Was it simply someone's password was stolen? Or are there major security issues with your servers or their encryptions?
Trusted IT professionals can help you get to the bottom of this with fast response times.
In 2019 26% of all law firms experienced some form of a data breach. That number may seem staggering; however because law firms operate with sensitive information they are prime targets for cybercriminals.
Whether that information is intellectual property (IP) or trade secrets firms need to use extreme caution with their systems.
Ethically you are required to protect client information. Regardless of if you can be culpable for damages or litigation is regardless. Your firm has a professional standard.
A breach tarnishes that immediately.
Let's start with the basics of improving data security.
This involves relatively simple actions. First ensure that your team understands the necessity for additional security measures (as mentioned above).
Second educate them on easy methods of improving security.
These include adding two-factor authentication for any device. Whenever an employee signs in they'll get a code sent to their phone or email to ensure that they can access private information (and not a foreign entity).
Second instill mandatory password updates. These can be frequent updates mandating monthly or even weekly refreshes. Depending on the nature of your firm these updates could be rotational on a bi-monthly or half a year schedule.
Strong passwords also matter. Additional punctuation markers numbers and capitalized letters will add to the difficulty of a hacker guessing a password.
Finally teach your team how to spot hacking and phishing scams. Annual reviews of what these emails and scams look like are important in ensuring your team maintains safe restraint in opening unsolicited emails.
This is where you bring in the big guns. Proper encryption transforms your data into a string of variables that are impossible to imprint without a specific key or password.
Having weak encryptions can allow anyone to find out your passwords emails and get access to your client's information.
Don't fall prey to a data breach with these above tips. Overall better team education is where to start. Focus on regular training and password updates to ensure success.
And if your systems are old or you're worried that your team may be susceptible to a breach contact our IT team today.
Located in Plymouth Meeting PA we offer a wealth of services and resources that will protect your data from thieves.