Ensuring data confidentiality: How to protect sensitive client data
In 2023, the legal sector ranked 6th among industries whose data breaches had been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office.
This high ranking is not surprising, as the type of data law firms collect and manage makes their systems valuable targets for cyber criminals.
Additionally, cloud storage and hybrid working means they have further opportunities to use attack vectors to gain access to insecure systems.
Stolen data can be sold on underground online markets, or cyber criminals may use ransomware to ransom a practice. They know a legal firm can't afford the wide-ranging cost of a data breach.
Given these risks, legal firms need to implement comprehensive data protection measures that go beyond basic anti-malware and firewalls. Leveraging specialised IT support for law firms can provide the expertise required to safeguard sensitive client data effectively.
The stakes are high for legal firms if they get their data security wrong. The potential financial and reputational costs can be substantial.
Cost of data breaches
In 2022, a law firm was fined £98,000 by the ICO after a ransomware attack in 2020. Cyber criminals encrypted over 900,000 files, some of which were posted on underground marketplaces.
In addition, your firm's reputation can be damaged even if you're not fined for a data breach. The ICO reprimanded another law firm after a data breach following a spear phishing attack.
Law firms hold sensitive data about people's lives, and they expect their data to be protected. The effects on a law firm can be long-lasting as news of data breaches spreads quickly online and can appear in future searches.
Recovery from a breach often involves securing or replacing compromised systems, software, and devices. During this critical period, your fee earners may be unable to operate, leading to significant financial losses and potential delays in client work—risks no legal firm can afford.
If you need specialist advice, Texaport provides expert IT and cyber security support for law firms, including secure storage and encryption.
How do I protect my client's data?
You may believe you already have suitable data protection. However, threat actors only need the smallest gap in your security infrastructure to cause a data breach.
An example of this is from the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Cyber Security Review. They found a single unsecured device which had left a system vulnerable: "While every firm said they employed passwords; one visit featured the discovery of a computer that could be accessed without a password. It subsequently provided full access to the firm's entire system."
The same report also says that when they visited 40 law firms, they found half of them: "Were found to have allowed unrestricted use of external data storage media, with 25% not encrypting their laptops."
Implementing security measures
Cyber security and data protection are complex, so IT support for legal and law firms can help keep systems safe and secure.
Under the UK GDPR, as soon as a firm becomes aware of a personal data breach, it must report it to the ICO within 72 hours, even if this is outside of working hours. If a firm loses client money or information, it must inform the Solicitors Regulatory Authority.
The UK GDPR requires appropriate security measures depending on the type of data you're processing. Deciding on what measures to use can be challenging, meaning that good IT support for legal firms is essential.
At Texaport, we can identify what you must do to secure and protect your data from cyber threats by providing specialist IT support for law firms.
The NCSC’s Cyber Threat Report: UK Legal Sector identifies five cyber attacks you must protect your legal firm from, including phishing, business email compromise, ransomware, password attacks, and supply chain attacks.
Additionally, the NCSC offers the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditations to help firms improve their cyber resilience.
The ICO has introduced the Legal Services Operational Privacy Certification Scheme (LOCS), which gives law firms the LOCS:23 certification.
Although the risk of attacks is rising, a law firm can reduce its attack surface and secure its data. This process can be daunting and complex. Texaport can help with a range of cyber security services; our MDR suite includes Endpoint Detection and Response, Security Operation Centre and Security Information Management, together with encryption, vulnerability assessments, and staff training.
Additionally, we can help with the Cyber Essentials accreditations and with complying with the requirements for the LOCS:23 certification.
Using strong data protection measures demonstrates your firm’s commitment to data security.
Avoiding common mistakes in cyber security
Recent cases have highlighted the security mistakes law firms have made.
Experts don't always know for sure how threat actors access systems. After this data breach, they did find evidence of a system vulnerability. An update for this had been released but wasn't implemented until several months later.
The above example emphasises the importance of having a comprehensive data security plan and examining every aspect of your IT infrastructure.
In another case, the ICO noted that they did not have multi-factor authentication (MFA) in place for the affected email account.
Other common mistakes include:
- Not using encryption, including on laptops and memory sticks.
- Using out-of-date and end-of-life systems and software.
- No Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) plans.
- No user privileges management.
- No measures to prevent social engineering such as MFA, Verify Sender’s Identity, and password managers.
- Poor staff cyber security and data protection training.
These are the types of issues where specialist IT support for legal firms can help.
You may be concerned about the effect of strong security on your staff's productivity. At Texaport, we have the answer: our holistic approach to cyber security. We provide customised IT and cyber security services to ensure they work for your law firm, staff, and budget.
Be prepared
Keep in mind that data security and cyber threats are constantly evolving. Every security incident, no matter how insignificant, must be recorded and logged. Regular risk and security assessments will help you identify any issues you must resolve.
Everyone in your firm, from directors to administration staff, must know what to do and when. A Data Loss Prevention plan is an excellent way to do this.
Your law firm must also prepare for the worst-case scenario of a data breach with a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plan in place.
Texaport provides expert IT support for law firms. Our managed cyber security services include complementary methods to build and test your security. This comprehensive service helps to keep your data secure and compliant with regulatory and legal requirements.
Your next steps to data confidentiality
With law firms increasingly at risk from cyber-attacks, protecting your practice from a data breach's financial and reputational damage is vital.
Using a holistic approach to data protection will help protect your law firm and is central to how Texaport helps its clients.
There are five main security areas a law firm needs to focus on:
- Ensuring systems are secure.
- Implementing strict access controls and managing user privileges.
- Keeping systems and software consistently up to date.
- Applying encryption across all sensitive data.
- Providing ongoing staff cyber security and data protection training.
With Texaport, you'll have expert help to keep data secure and protect your firm from the consequences of a data breach.
Call us today to take the first steps towards using an effective, holistic approach to data protection for your legal firm.
