Cybercriminals are intensifying their focus on law firms, with Holland & Knight and Squire Patton Boggs becoming the latest global practices to disclose breaches involving sensitive personal information.
Two major international law firms, Holland & Knight and Squire Patton Boggs, have disclosed separate data-security breaches affecting sensitive information held by the firms.
Holland & Knight, which has about 2,200 lawyers, and Squire Patton Boggs, with about 2,600 attorneys, notified regulators that Social Security numbers were exposed in the incidents.
Holland & Knight said a threat actor used social-engineering techniques to gain remote access to a firm computer.
Squire Patton Boggs said an unauthorised third party obtained a limited set of information.
A third firm, Nelson Mullins, is also facing a proposed class action after a separate cyber incident involving private information.
The disclosures underline a growing professional-risk issue: law firms routinely hold privileged communications, financial records, litigation strategy and personal data, making them especially attractive targets for cybercriminals.
For regulators and practitioners, the legal issue extends beyond IT security to professional negligence, confidentiality, data-protection obligations and client trust.
Related: Technology Adoption in Nigerian Law Firms and Its Ethical Implications
Source: Reuters.
behind Games Village, Abuja
5A, CGH, Games Village, Abuja