Modern Law
Cybersecurity is something you have to think about at the individual level.
At the healthcare level.
And at your place of business.
But what about when it comes to the businesses that support you? We make assumptions that there are policies and procedures in place, but never really verify them, we just trust that “they know better”.
The legal industry has to be diligent with cybersecurity when it comes to documentation. Legal documents are passed around through various lawyers, paralegals, clients, clerks, opposing counsel, and also through the hands of judges. We aren’t implying that the information is modified along the way, but with multiple people having access, there is the risk of sensitive material being exposed and modified. And hackers? They have their sights set on it too.
While there is danger in the potential modification, there is also danger in the possible exposure of client information that is detrimental to that person’s identity or business. A lot of sensitive material is shared among individuals with the commitment to their clients at the forefront, but they can’t protect everything all of the time. There are just too many people, in too many firms to be held accountable to the same standards.
Legal firms need to take cybersecurity as seriously as any other aspect of their business and they need to work with other firms to ensure that the policies are in place as well. Like HIPAA enforces healthcare, legal firms will likely see policies and procedures mandated soon enough. It would serve them well to get ahead of the curve and be the trusted litigation as well as trusted cybersecurity partner.
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