Cybersecurity

DLA Piper hit by ‘major cyber attack’ amid larger hack spreading to US

DLA Piper is dealing with a ransomware attack on Tuesday that is apparently affecting offices in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Legal Week says the firm was “hit by a major cyber attack.” Lawyers who spoke with the publication said emails and phone systems were affected, and computers were shut down as a precaution.

Jun 27, 2017 12:27 PM CDT

Regulators enlist corporate lawyers in joint response to cyberattacks

Responding quickly to an identity theft, ransomware or other computer attack means having a plan in place. And as participants in the National Institute on Cybersecurity Law learned, that includes a plan to send in the feds. “Figure out if you have to report that breach to my office or…

Jun 26, 2017 4:20 PM CDT

ABA supports cybersecurity bill

The ABA is supporting a bill that fosters collaboration between state, local and federal agencies to battle cyber threats. On Tuesday, the ABA sent a letter (PDF) supporting the bill, the Cyber Preparedness Act of 2017, to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and…

Jun 13, 2017 2:08 PM CDT

Using unencrypted email in client communications not always enough, ethics opinion indicates

Lawyers must take reasonable efforts to ensure that communications with clients are secure and not subject to inadvertent or unauthorized security breaches, reads a recently released formal ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Formal Ethics Opinion 477 (PDF) updates Formal Ethics Opinion 99-413, which…

May 11, 2017 10:35 AM CDT

Microsoft’s new deputy GC will lead efforts on privacy, cybersecurity

Julie Brill, the longtime consumer advocate and former member of the Federal Trade Commission, will join Microsoft Corp. this summer to lead its privacy and regulatory affairs group, Law.com reported Friday. Brill’s title will be Deputy General Counsel for Privacy and Regulatory Affairs, according to a Microsoft corporate blog. She…

May 2, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Inaccurate leads from IP addresses prompt police to serve warrants on innocent people

The advent of proxy servers and mobile access to the internet has made IP addresses less reliable for law enforcement investigating online crimes.

May 1, 2017 2:10 AM CDT

FBI director confirms probe of Trump campaign and Russia

FBI director James Comey confirmed that the bureau is investigating whether there was coordination between Russian officials and President Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 presidential campaign. The House Intelligence Committee opened hearings on Monday to determine the extent of Russian interference and whether campaign officials from either side helped.…

Mar 20, 2017 3:02 PM CDT

Blockchain technology can provide lawyers with an authentic, secure ledger

A crash course in blockchain at ABA Techshow started Friday with Oliver Goodenough instructing participants to repeat after him its more useful generic description, "distributed ledger technology."

Mar 18, 2017 10:00 AM CDT

Want to know if work data is secure? Examine your own practices first

Technology can help you keep data secure, but the first step in preventing a cyberattack is personal behavior, according to Shamla Naidoo, IBM’s global chief information security officer. “As consumers, we make the difference. The world we live in is changing. Give yourself the security benefit of taking all the…

Mar 17, 2017 5:40 PM CDT

Law firms can be soft targets for hackers, say cybersecurity experts

In any organization at least one person—and probably more—will click any email link, and sometimes that opens a door for hackers to get to senior management data. The issue was discussed by two cyberintelligence experts at a Thursday ABA Techshow panel, titled “A Fool and His Data Are Easily Parted:…

Mar 16, 2017 1:57 PM CDT

6 major law firm hacks in recent history

Law firms have been victims of some of the most damaging hacks in recent history. Here’s a list of the major law firm hacks in the past five years.

Mar 1, 2017 11:54 AM CST

Law firms must manage cybersecurity risks

Cybersecurity is evolving. This is more than just a technology issue or an added clause in the retainer agreement—it’s the biggest risk that law firms face in 2017. Two of the largest firms in the United States got caught in a major cybersecurity breach later linked to a $4 million-plus insider-trading scheme.

Mar 1, 2017 12:50 AM CST

ABA to offer cyber liability insurance

The ABA is adding cyber liability coverage to its insurance offerings for law firms. The cyber insurance, underwritten by Chubb Limited, covers law firm expenses associated with hacking, including the costs of network extortion, income loss and forensics, according to an ABA press release. Liability protection and defense costs are…

Feb 28, 2017 8:21 AM CST

Tweeters defying Trump administration on official agency accounts could be prosecuted

Reportedly unauthorized tweets made on official federal agency accounts could be prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Associated Press reports. The tweets—including one on the Redwoods National and State Parks Twitter stream that implied that more Redwood trees would bring less climate change—are inconsistent with Trump administration…

Jan 27, 2017 10:50 AM CST

Alleged BigLaw hackers made $4M trading on stolen information, federal prosecutors say

Federal prosecutors have charged three Chinese citizens with insider trading and computer intrusion for allegedly hacking into the computers of two prominent law firms to obtain information about pending deals. In an indictment (PDF) unsealed last Tuesday, federal prosecutors say the three men made about $4 million trading on the…

Jan 3, 2017 10:49 AM CST