Cybersecurity

Between Hacks and Hostilities: Are the US government and private sector ready for persistent engagement?

Cybersecurity is necessarily an issue that crosses international boundaries, raising complex questions of sovereignty, jurisdiction, law and policy. In response, lawyers have struggled to find the right legal metaphor or framework to apply to cyberspace. Each of these issues concerns the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative because the way we as a society choose to address these challenges implicates what it means to live and operate under the rule of law.

May 9, 2019 12:15 PM CDT

ABA Techshow proves lawyers don’t need unlimited budgets to beef up their tech and security

The overall theme of 2019’s iteration of ABA Techshow, which took place from Feb. 27 to March 2 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, was “future-proofing your practice.” In that vein, Sharon Nelson, president of Sensei Enterprises in Fairfax, Virginia, and Jeff Richardson, partner at Adams and Reese in New Orleans, stressed during their panel session that it was important not to get paralyzed by indecisiveness as a result of the abundance of technological options available in the marketplace.

May 1, 2019 1:40 AM CDT

Do court bans on electronic devices impede access to justice?

Courts of all types have banned cellphones in courtrooms. Some inform litigants of the ban before they show up, others don’t. Some offer lockers for storage, others don’t. Courts have cited different reasons for the bans, ranging from preventing disruption in the courtroom to protecting witnesses who could be photographed and potentially threatened for appearing.

Apr 1, 2019 2:00 AM CDT

How to avoid security risks without going broke

During a panel at ABA Techshow 2019 on Thursday, Sherri Davidoff told the audience: “The most effective things in cybersecurity are free.” Davidoff, the CEO of BrightWise and the founder of LMG Security, and David Ries, of counsel at Clark Hill who practices in data protection law and litigation, outlined…

Feb 28, 2019 3:54 PM CST

Building blockchain expertise into a practice that pays

Blockchain's a buzzword, but what does it mean? In this episode of the Modern Law Library, our guests James A. Cox and Mark W. Rasmussen give a breakdown of what blockchain is, the emerging legal issues the technology is prompting, and why Jones Day thinks that it's an important emerging practice area.

Feb 11, 2019 8:10 AM CST

Discovery documents provided to Russian firm were altered and posted online, Mueller says

Law firm Reed Smith has released a statement Wednesday saying its computer systems were not breached after special counsel Robert Mueller revealed that someone claiming to be a hacker had posted discovery materials provided to its client, a Russian company accused of funding a Russian effort to interfere in the…

Jan 31, 2019 9:00 AM CST

Lawyer says ‘disgusting’ Facebook post to drunken people was written by hacker

A Florida lawyer says a hacker was to blame for a Facebook post offering sympathy and legal services to people who are drunk after encountering “the tease.” Lawyer Albert Sauline told the Panama City News Herald on Tuesday that he found the early Sunday post “disgusting,” and that he personally…

Jan 31, 2019 7:00 AM CST

BigLaw associate was duped into transferring over $2.5M to fraudster’s account, decision reveals

An associate at Dentons Canada was duped into transferring more than $2.5 million into a fraudster’s account, according to an opinion by an Ontario judge in an insurance coverage dispute. The Dec. 11 decision by Judge Carole J. Brown said the Vancouver-based associate sent the money from a property sale…

Jan 23, 2019 7:30 AM CST

‘The Dark Overlord’ didn’t hack systems, Husch Blackwell says

Husch Blackwell says its systems weren’t hacked after a group calling itself “The Dark Overlord” threatened to release stolen documents relating to insurance litigation over the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Dark Overlord hacker group says it has 18,000 documents that include emails and nondisclosure documents…

Jan 3, 2019 1:36 PM CST

2018’s most important legal tech stories

What were 2018's most important legal tech stories? ABA Journal legal affairs writer Jason Tashea takes a look back on the biggest news in law and technology, including Facebook’s never-ending missteps, the creation of new data privacy standards and the destruction of federal net neutrality.

Dec 21, 2018 6:30 AM CST

California imposes new regulations on ‘internet of things’ devices

California has passed a law regulating the security of internet-enabled devices sold in the state. While many see it as a step in the right direction, others think the law doesn’t go far enough to secure these technologies.

Dec 10, 2018 7:00 AM CST

As state actors continue to wage cyberwar on the United States, they have a powerful ally

As state actors continue to wage cyberwar on the United States, they have a powerful ally—gaps and ambiguities in the law

Nov 1, 2018 1:15 AM CDT

Any piece of technology that stores information could be compromised—even obsolete devices

Affinity Health Plan failed to consider copy machines as a potential security risk, costing the company over $1.2 million in a civil penalty. The settlement also required the company to expend resources to retrieve the machines, conduct a risk assessment and implement a new security plan.

Nov 1, 2018 1:10 AM CDT

Rethink your law firm’s IT disaster recovery strategy

Information technology-related disasters are among the biggest contributors to long-term business disruption for law firms. Major data breaches that shut down entire systems, natural disasters that physically destroy data centers and purposeful cyberattacks threaten a law firm’s business continuity.

Oct 30, 2018 6:00 AM CDT

ABA ethics opinion offers guidance on data breaches

Lawyers have to safeguard client data and notify clients of a data breach, and the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has issued a formal opinion that reaffirms that duty.

Oct 17, 2018 4:20 PM CDT