Lawyers Encouraged to Vet Tech Vendors Carefully

Lawyers Encouraged to Vet Tech Vendors Carefully

  • Law firms are prime targets for hackers. Why? Because their computer networks contain highly concentrated, high-value information about many parties that is often not well-protected. One often-overlooked vulnerability is the security of computer networks operated by third-party vendors employed by the firm.
  • The five leading threats to law firms are:
    • Ransomware
    • Business Email Compromise / EAC
    • Spearphishing
    • Lost or stolen laptops and mobile devices
    • Third Party Risk
  • All law firms should carefully inventory the data they possess: What data is held by the firm, why it is being held, who has access to it, and for how long?
  • Vendors have capabilities that law firms do not, and it is often the case that cybersecurity measures in place at a vendor are better than those in place at the law firm itself. However, that is not always the case and no law firm should assume that a vendor’s cybersecurity measures are adequate for the assigned matter.
    • Trust but verify.

– Jim Ballowe | May 3, 2021