Data Protection and Cybersecurity Tips for Law Firms
According to The American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2021 Legal Technology Survey, 25% of respondents said their firm had, at some time, experienced a data breach. For law firms, data protection and cybersecurity are top priorities, given the amount of sensitive information they handle.
Why Cybercriminals Target Law Firms
Law firms are appealing to cybercriminals because:
- They collect personal data. Clients’ social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and other personal information could be used to steal someone’s identity.
- A great deal of money moves through a law firm for litigation and transactions.
- They possess sensitive legal information that may be of interest to cybercriminals.
Given the appeal of law firms’ data to cybercriminals, it’s important they deploy enhanced IT security services for maximum data protection. Below are a few best practices that we recommend law firms deploy now to avoid cybersecurity crisis management down the road.
Cybersecurity Best Practices for Law Firms
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Firewall protection
A firewall is a network security system that monitors incoming and outgoing traffic. It operates based on a set of predetermined cybersecurity rules. These rules protect your network from malicious or unnecessary traffic. A firewall will provide many enhanced IT security services your business needs. This includes business-grade internet threat detection and prevention, content filters and malware prevention.
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Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a cybersecurity solution that consolidates data across all endpoints to provide a full picture of potential cybersecurity threats. Traditional anti-virus and anti-malware protection only monitor for known viruses. But EDR solutions can identify ransomware, unknown malware and malicious activity. It does this by looking at your system, ensuring that all activity is behaving the way it is supposed to.
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A virtual private network (VPN)
When users access company files from a personal computer, it’s important to provide data protection with a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN essentially creates a secure tunnel between the user’s computer and the office servers. It then uses data encryption to protect personal information. The encrypted data looks like gibberish to anyone who intercepts it, making it near impossible for hackers to read.
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Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
In today’s cyber landscape, it’s virtually impossible to secure an online or mobile account with just a password. Multi-factor authentication adds another step to authenticating users’ identities for data protection. This could include a verification code, answer to a personal security question or biometrics, like a fingerprint scan. This makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to access data.
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Advanced Threat Detection (ATD) and Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP)
Advanced Threat Detection (ATD) and Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP) solutions protect against advanced malware threats. These are also known as advanced persistent threats (APT). They involve a long-term process that a hacker begins by gaining access to an operating system or network. Simply put, ATP and ATD make it more difficult for cybercriminals to gain access to and penetrate a business’ IT network.
At Atlas, we also conduct monthly vulnerability scans for our clients as an enhanced IT security service. These identify current and potential issues we need to address to keep our client’s network and devices secure. Part of this involves working with our clients to ensure all machines, servers and products are up to date, which helps avoid potential cybersecurity risks for optimal data protection.
Are you a law firm in need of enhanced IT security services for data protection? Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to learn how we can help you protect your business.
