Cybersecurity

Hacked ‘Panama Papers’ law firm is raided by government officials

Following a massive data breach at a Panama-based law firm that a founding partner has blamed on a hack attack, government officials on Tuesday raided the headquarters of Mossack Fonseca & Co. The attorney general’s office said they were seeking “documentation linked to the information published in news articles that…

Apr 13, 2016 12:50 PM CDT

Judge orders Apple to help FBI unlock another iPhone; will issue reach the Supreme Court?

A federal magistrate judge in Boston has issued an order requiring Apple to help the FBI access a locked iPhone to get potential evidence for a gang case. Unsealed Friday at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, documents in the case of alleged Columbia Point Dawgs…

Apr 11, 2016 10:00 AM CDT

Partner: Massive data breach at ‘Panama Papers’ law firm was from hack attack, not internal leak

Journalists reporting worldwide about offshore wealth of prominent people got millions of confidential documents from Panama-based Mossack Fonseca as a result of an attack by hackers, not an insider data leak, a partner of the law firm says. “We rule out an inside job. This is not a leak. This…

Apr 6, 2016 4:30 PM CDT

Prosecutors launch probes after massive leak of Panama law firm’s documents

Following news of a massive leak of documents from a Panama-based law firm that has incorporated some 240,000 offshore shell companies, prosecutors around the world on Monday announced related probes. That included the Department of Justice, which said it is reviewing the documents to see if there is any violation…

Apr 5, 2016 2:45 PM CDT

Massive leak of law firm documents reveals offshore wealth of politicians and celebrities

One of the largest data leaks ever to occur resulted in more than 11 million documents from a Panamanian law firm that specializes in offshore incorporations and wealth management reportedly being sent to a German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung. Shared by the newspaper through the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)…

Apr 4, 2016 11:50 AM CDT

FBI to help authorities access iPhone and iPad of suspects in slaying of Arkansas couple

A successful attempt by the FBI to access the encrypted iPhone of a man responsible for a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, may be just the beginning of a new era of smartphone transparency. Days after a Monday announcement that the feds had penetrated the iPhone of Syed Rizwan…

Mar 31, 2016 11:05 AM CDT

Cybercriminals target 50 BigLaw firms for phishing attacks seeking corporate deal info

A would-be securities fraud broker has spotlighted methods used in attempts to penetrate law firm computer systems, by seeking help with his project on a cybercriminal forum, authorities say. A post earlier this year by “Oleras,” who lives in the Ukraine, outlined a plan to target nearly 50 BigLaw firms,…

Mar 30, 2016 2:10 PM CDT

FTC commissioner headed to BigLaw explains how she fell for a phishing scam

An FTC commissioner who is leaving to join Hogan Lovells knows from first-hand experience how easy it is to fall for a phishing scam. FTC Commissioner Julie Brill told her story to the Washington Post because she wants to warn others. “These are not the prince-from-Nigeria types of attacks of…

Mar 24, 2016 9:07 AM CDT

Justice Department says it may be able to hack San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone without Apple’s help

The Justice Department said in court papers on Monday that it may be able to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone without assistance from Apple. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of Riverside, California, agreed to the government’s request to cancel a hearing scheduled for Tuesday on the FBI request to…

Mar 22, 2016 7:27 AM CDT

Former State Department employee gets nearly 5 years in ‘international sextortion campaign’

A former State Department employee was sentenced Monday to four years and nine months in what federal prosecutors called an “international sextortion campaign” operated from his computer at the U.S. Embassy in London. They said Michael Ford, 36, tricked hundreds of women into providing him with their email and social…

Mar 21, 2016 3:45 PM CDT

‘60 in 60’ highlights cybersecurity, workplace productivity and social media

An app that takes dictation. A talking doll that’s a goldmine for cyberhackers. A service that preserves social media posts for posterity (or more likely, litigation). Those were just a few of the “60 Tips, Tricks, Gizmos, Gadgets and Sites in 60 Minutes” showcased during ABA Techshow’s traditional conference closer,…

Mar 19, 2016 5:25 PM CDT

Cybersecurity experts offer stern warnings, tips for security in mass-surveillance era

FaceTime is actually a pretty secure way to communicate. The FBI can access the camera on your laptop without you knowing about it. And lawyers should think twice before storing their confidential files on Dropbox. Those were just some of the tips and warnings given out by a panel consisting…

Mar 19, 2016 10:40 AM CDT

EFF’s Cindy Cohn calls for lawyer support in fight over mass surveillance

Cindy Cohn was always a compelling choice to give the keynote speech at ABA Techshow. The Electronic Frontier Foundation executive director has been involved in numerous high-profile court cases against the National Security Agency over its mass surveillance data-collection programs. Then the FBI versus Apple controversy happened, giving her keynote…

Mar 18, 2016 4:15 PM CDT

Cybersecurity laws are a worldwide but evolving patchwork

ABA Techshow panelist Martin Tully, a partner at Akerman in Chicago, opened his St. Patrick’s Day afternoon panel with a promise to keep it brief, noting that “we are the last thing standing between you and Guinness and corned beef and cabbage.” But there was a lot to cover in…

Mar 18, 2016 10:52 AM CDT

Accused Russian hacker’s laptop was accessed without US search warrant, suppression motion says

A well-known criminal defense lawyer representing an accused Russian hacker in a high-profile federal case is seeking to have the contents of his client’s laptop suppressed as evidence. That’s because thousands of files were accessed—and hundreds were modified—between the time Roman Seleznev was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service and…

Mar 14, 2016 1:05 PM CDT