Extract from Stephanie Kurtz’s article “Four steps to improve digital data security at law firms”
Small law firms tend to think that they’re safe from becoming the target of hackers. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong.
In fact, hackers are attacking small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) precisely because they usually don’t defend themselves as well as large enterprises. Whether it’s the lack of IT resources or budget constraints, SMBs — including law firms — need to confront today’s threats head on.
Breaches at law firms are not uncommon. An American Bar Association survey1 last year found that one in four law firms with at least 100 attorneys had experienced a data breach due to a hacker, website attack, break-in, or lost or stolen computer or smartphone. Meanwhile, the consequences of weak security could impact your firm’s business, as more corporate clients insist that their outside firms do more to safeguard sensitive information.
Law firms are taking note. In a 2015 ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing survey,2 59 percent of respondents said security management was their top IT challenge. The issue topped the list, knocking email management out of the number one spot for the first time in eight years.
