How law firms can protect themselves against cybercrime

Cybercrime is a consistent issue. As criminals become more sophisticated and well-funded, it is up to businesses to put the kind of defences in place that can keep them secure. It is unfortunately the case that law firms can be a target for cybercriminals as they often retain significant amounts of money, information and private data.

Law firms of all sizes are targeted by cybercriminals. So, it is necessary for every company to take steps to overhaul their security and ensure it is where it needs to be. Thankfully, no matter the size of your firm, many of the most important steps remain the same. Here, we take a look at how law firms can protect themselves against cybercriminals.

Invest properly

The first thing to say is that good cybersecurity requires investment. It is no longer appropriate to simply install antivirus and firewall software and hope for the best. Modern cybersecurity requires 24/7 protection, skilled professionals, and regular analysis to help find and repair vulnerabilities in the system.

Crucially, this takes investment, and law firms should adjust their budgets accordingly. It is a good idea to consult with cybersecurity experts to get an idea of the kind of processes, software and staff you need to have in place. This will provide you with the information you need to create a realistic budget.

Limit access

It is also important to limit the level of access that each member of staff has to data. If every member of your firm has access to all of the personal details and other information stored, any breach of their credentials can give a cybercriminal access to everything they want.

If instead members of staff are only given access to the information and data that they need to do their day-to-day job, it can limit the scope of damage, should an attack take place. Your IT team can place blocks on certain parts of the server so that access is only granted to those who need it.

Limit access

Software still plays an important role in cybersecurity. While firewall and antivirus solutions aren’t a silver bullet, they are still effective against certain types of attack. But that’s not the only type of software that you need to focus on.

Remember that the software that your business uses has a direct effect on how secure you are. Making use of high quality case management software, which is kept up-to-date and is designed with the needs of law firms in mind – it can be extremely valuable from a security perspective.

Stay up to date

On the subject of ensuring software is kept up to date, it is worth pointing out that this needs to apply to your whole system. Cybercriminals are often able to exploit weaknesses and vulnerabilities within systems simply because they have not been updated with the latest changes.

One of the most important aspects of updating a piece of software or hardware is that these updates close up potential issues and opportunities for cybercriminals.

Provide staff training

It is also crucial to remember that your staff play perhaps the most important role in your cybersecurity. The finest software and best procedures won’t be effective if staff are using weak passwords or falling victim to phishing emails.

Ensure that your team is provided with in-depth and regularly updated cybersecurity training to ensure that they are as well prepared as possible to prevent an attack.

At Insight Legal, we create high quality software specifically for law firms. If you are interested in learning more, please get in contact with our experienced team today.