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Extract from Gina Jurva’s article “Enhancing Cyber Security: Five Questions to Ask When Evaluating an Ediscovery Partner”
As the legal world evolves, cybersecurity and data protection are becoming increasingly paramount. Law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies now face heightened vulnerability, emphasizing the urgent need for strong cybersecurity measures. This article explores the challenges brought on by rising cybersecurity incidents, confidentiality obligations, and the pivotal role of technology in selecting ediscovery vendors.
Cybersecurity Incidents on the Rise
The surge in cybersecurity incidents poses a significant threat to organizations, particularly law firms. IBM’s annual ‘Cost of a Data Breach‘ report highlights the substantial financial impact, with the average cost of a data breach in the United States reaching $4.45 million—a 15% increase over three years ago. Beyond financial repercussions, breaches also inflict reputational harm, underscoring the strategic imperative for law firms to adopt advanced cybersecurity measures.
Moreover, third-party breaches represent a significant aspect of the cybersecurity landscape, posing substantial challenges to organizations worldwide. These breaches occur when attackers target the systems or networks of vendors and service providers that companies rely on for various functions, such as cloud services, software applications, or infrastructure support. By infiltrating these third-party systems, cybercriminals can gain access to sensitive data belonging to multiple clients or partners of the affected vendor. This not only amplifies the scale of data breaches but also complicates incident response efforts and regulatory compliance requirements for all parties involved.