Assessing the current level of cyber risk is an essential step for law firms to understand their vulnerabilities and develop effective cybersecurity strategies. There are proactive measures to take, such as vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, security audits, employee training and awareness, third-party risk assessments, and regulatory compliance. However, no business will ever be forewarned about a cyber attack; therefore, incident response preparedness is also crucial — mapping out the plan should the worst occur, including communications to all stakeholders and clearly defined responsibilities.

Law firms should implement a range of essential cybersecurity controls to protect their sensitive data and mitigate the risk of cyberthreats. These controls include firewalls, end-point protection, encryption, access controls (multifactor authentication (MFA) for all accounts), secure remote access, employee training practices, data backup and recovery, incident response plans, and third-party risk management.

Regular patching and updates are vital. An increasing number of the ransomware claims we see are due to cybercriminals exploiting a vulnerability that Microsoft has recently identified and released a patch for. During this period, businesses that fail to update their systems in a timely manner become susceptible to attacks.

Cyber hygiene practices should be reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective and aligned with the evolving cyberthreat landscape. This includes conducting annual reviews, updating cybersecurity policies and procedures, and regularly assessing the firm’s technology infrastructure.

It’s important to stay aware of emerging trends and technologies that could enhance or threaten cyber hygiene practices. Some of the upcoming trends and technologies that law firms should consider include zero trust architecture, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), cloud security, end-point detection and response (EDR), blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT) security, and threat intelligence.