Strategies for safeguarding client confidentiality and compliance

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Strategies for safeguarding client confidentiality and compliance

Everyone is aware that data breaches and cyber attacks are on the rise globally. It affects organisations across various industries and for legal firms especially it is imperative that security is a top priority. Lawyers need to ensure their documentation is secure to uphold the principles of client confidentiality and attorney-client privilege, this is fundamental to the legal profession. By securing documentation, legal professionals protect against unauthorised access, data breaches, and potential disclosure of confidential information to third parties. Compliance with legal and industry-specific regulations is crucial,and secure documentation ensures adherence to these standards, mitigating the risk of legal and ethical consequences. Additionally, securing documentation reflects the professional responsibility of legal practitioners to safeguard the interests of their clients and maintain the highest ethical standards in the practice of law.

Law firms can enhance their security measures by using cloud-based digital dictation solutions as well as implementing a combination of technical safeguards, best practices, and employee training. Here are key steps law firms can take to protect themselves when utilising cloud-based digital dictation.
Continue reading “Strategies for safeguarding client confidentiality and compliance”

Allen & Overy dodges data leak bullet as firm tight-lipped on ransom outcome

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Allen & Overy dodges data leak bullet as firm tight-lipped on ransom outcome

As the deadline for Allen & Overy (A&O) to pay a multimillion dollar ransom on its data passed by without incident on 28 November, the firm declined to comment on whether it had paid the cyber criminals off.

On 9 November A&O said it had suffered a ‘data incident’. Posts from X user and self-described ‘threat intelligence platform for cybersecurity’ @FalconFeedsio on Wednesday 8 November suggested that notorious cyber criminal group LockBit had targeted the firm, with a threat to release ‘all available data’ by 28 November. Continue reading “Allen & Overy dodges data leak bullet as firm tight-lipped on ransom outcome”

Allen & Overy suffers ‘data incident’ as ransomware group LockBit claims responsibility

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Allen & Overy suffers ‘data incident’ as ransomware group LockBit claims responsibility

Allen & Overy has confirmed that it has suffered a ‘data incident’. Posts from X user and self-described ‘threat intelligence platform for cybersecurity’ @FalconFeedsio on Wednesday 8 November suggested that cybercriminal group LockBit had targeted the firm, with a threat to release ‘all available data’ by 28 November.

‘We have experienced a data incident impacting a small number of storage servers’, said an A&O spokesperson. ‘Investigations to date have confirmed that data in our core systems, including our email and document management system, has not been affected. Continue reading “Allen & Overy suffers ‘data incident’ as ransomware group LockBit claims responsibility”

Sponsored briefing: The Digital Operational Resilience Act: the next chapter for cyber resilience in the EU financial sector

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Sponsored briefing: The Digital Operational Resilience Act: the next chapter for cyber resilience in the EU financial sector

THE WHAT AND WHY OF DORA

The EU’s financial sector is counting down towards a major legal document aimed at addressing cyber security concerns within this sector. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: The Digital Operational Resilience Act: the next chapter for cyber resilience in the EU financial sector”

Sponsored briefing: Recovering from a data breach and the role of legal experts

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Sponsored briefing: Recovering from a data breach and the role of legal experts

The data breach landscape is ever-changing and being aware of the latest threats is imperative for responding effectively to a data breach.

According to TransUnion’s recent researchi, IT professionals from UK organisations see phishing attempts as the most likely data breach risk in the coming years, with 47% putting it among their top threats. Hybrid and remote working – and the lower level of oversight on security that comes with it – were also named a top future risk by 36%. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Recovering from a data breach and the role of legal experts”

Sponsored briefing: As data breach becomes a battleground for class action litigation, companies need to take a risk-based approach to cyber security

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Sponsored briefing: As data breach becomes a battleground for class action litigation, companies need to take a risk-based approach to cyber security

The pandemic and GDPR regimes have heightened the litigation risk presented by data breaches and other cyber security issues in recent years.

Cyber attacks have grown in number and sophistication as businesses relied more than ever on technology to deliver their products and as remote working became the norm. According to a UK government report1, two in five businesses in Britain suffered cyber security attacks in the 12 months to March 2021, with an attached cost of £13,400 on average per data breach for medium and large companies. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: As data breach becomes a battleground for class action litigation, companies need to take a risk-based approach to cyber security”

‘Sector needs to take this seriously’: cyber-attack on offshore firm Appleby sees data on brink of entering public domain

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The growing threat of cyber-attacks shows no sign of abating, with news that global offshore firm Appleby was the victim of a data breach last year.

In a statement on the firm’s website posted yesterday (24 October), Appleby conceded that a ‘data security incident’ took place in 2016. Continue reading “‘Sector needs to take this seriously’: cyber-attack on offshore firm Appleby sees data on brink of entering public domain”

‘Collateral damage’: Profession gets a stark wake-up call on tech security in wake of crippling DLA cyber assault

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‘Collateral damage’: Profession gets a stark wake-up call on tech security in wake of crippling DLA cyber assault

Kathryn McCann assesses the impact of the cyber attack on DLA and the wider legal market

For years, the possibility of a major cyber attack on a leading law firm has been discussed. Inevitably, it finally materialised. On 27 June DLA Piper was crippled for days after the global giant’s systems were hit by what the firm terms a ‘particularly sophisticated strain of malware’. (In cyber jargon, malware is malicious software designed to disrupt, damage or gain access to computer systems.) Continue reading “‘Collateral damage’: Profession gets a stark wake-up call on tech security in wake of crippling DLA cyber assault”

Law firms report record £3.2m cybercrime theft in first quarter but prosecutions have fallen

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Law firms report record £3.2m cybercrime theft in first quarter but prosecutions have fallen

UK law firms have reported a record 45 cases of cyber thefts to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the first quarter of this year, with £3.2m stolen through conveyancing and inheritance matters as well as from law firms’ own accounts – mainly through email modification fraud.

The number of crimes reported more than doubled the 21 recorded over the same period in 2016. Continue reading “Law firms report record £3.2m cybercrime theft in first quarter but prosecutions have fallen”

Linklaters to recruit first chief information security officer as DLA breach pushes security up firms’ agenda

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Linklaters to recruit first chief information security officer as DLA breach pushes security up firms’ agenda

Linklaters is seeking to recruit a chief information security officer (CISO) to establish, shape and deliver its global IT security strategy and management programme, a new position for the Magic Circle firm.

The recruitment drive follows swiftly after a major cyber attack on DLA Piper on 27 June, which knocked down the firm’s communication system, temporarily putting its phones and computers out of action.  Continue reading “Linklaters to recruit first chief information security officer as DLA breach pushes security up firms’ agenda”