Think that your law firm is too small to be at risk for a cyber-attack? You might want to think again. By the end of 2019, ransomware attacks are projected to affect one business every 14 seconds, up from every 40 seconds in 2018. Law firms, especially those with critical information on high profile cases, patented technologies, and intellectual capital are hot targets.
Because your firm often deals with highly sensitive information, it’s not surprising that your firm has a target on it’s back when it comes to hacking.
It’s a necessity for law firms to have full client trust, which means they have a duty to protect their clients’ sensitive information. Hackers are now bypassing bigger firms because small to medium-sized law firms are often the weaker link.
Although small to medium-sized firms have fewer resources to put towards a cyber-security program, they have the same cyber-security challenges and threats as the larger firms. It can be overwhelming to acquire a large number of resources necessary to establish and maintain a solid cybersecurity program.
Hiring an MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) is one option law firms have when contemplating the best way to ramp up their cyber strategy. By hiring an MSSP, you can focus on the important things – running your firm. The MSSP will take the burden and risk of establishing and maintaining an expensive cyber-security program off your shoulders.
Here are the top 3 reasons your law firm will benefit from an MSSP.
Here are the top 3 reasons your law firm will benefit from an MSSP.
You need to protect your firm’s reputation and your clients’ information – your business is built on data from clients, contracts, and cases. Losing this data leaves the success of your firm vulnerable. Managed cyber-security services give you peace of mind by keeping your files safely backed up and offering disaster recovery plans. If you lose important information, you’ll be able to get it back quickly, avoiding losing clients, time, and money.
1. There are many ways to lose data including:
- Natural disaster. Fires, plumbing failures, and burglary can wipe out your disk storage. If you have no backup, your law firm will be at risk of being a disaster as well.
- Hardware failure. Disk drives eventually go bad, often at the worst possible time.
- Human error. Files can be deleted, or necessary information can be overwritten.
- Ransomware. Malicious software can take hostage of your files so you can’t even read them, and hackers will demand payment to recover them.
Avoiding all the above issues by bringing a managed security service provider into the mix for your law firm is a move that can be cost-effective for law firms of all sizes. Law firms working with managed security service providers have saved thousands per month in surprise overages and other unforeseen IT costs when compared to other cyber support alternatives.
2. Expert Protection to Protect Confidentiality
Data breaches are a huge problem for law firms in today’s day and age. Confidential information obtained during a cyber-attack can be used to give a competitor inside information, for blackmail, or even to leak to news outlets. ABA rules require taking reasonable measures to protect confidential data, and legal firms have been sued for failing to do so.
Social engineering methods and cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and deceptive in their approach to stealing confidential client and firm data. Guarding against breaches requires a strong defense at all levels. It is necessary to keep software up to date, to monitor for break-ins, and to set up solid spam filters to keep dangerous attacks out of employee inboxes. Also contributing to risk is sending data over the internet unencrypted. By hiring an MSSP, they will assess your firm’s risky practices and will offer security solutions.
Today, we are all mobile. We want our information to travel with us wherever we go. This convenience does come with risks, however. Mobile devices, cloud services, and wireless connections make even a small network into a complex management task. It is paramount to manage the myriad threats generating from the internet. A well established and managed strategy will give your firm the efficiency of mobility and the protection to keep your information safe.
3. Unlimited Access to Technical Experts
There is an ever-changing amount of new technology to protect you against cyber threats, and unfortunately the same holds true for technology that hackers use to steal information. To protect your firm, you’ll need to stay at the forefront of technological development. With limited resources and time, that’s very difficult for small to medium-sized firms to do. Partnering with a trusted managed services provider gives you unlimited access to a team of technical experts and consultants. They’ll act as an extension to your business, guiding you on the right cyber-security solutions for your firm as well as efficiently delivering any changes.
With so much on your plate, it gives you peace of mind to have an MSSP take care of staying up to date and compliant with ever-changing government regulations. Save money by avoiding fines and other consequences of failing to keep up with changing laws and compliances.
Having a dedicated expert supporting your team and monitoring and maintaining your cyber strategy makes sense for firms who need their employees to concentrate on their day-to-day operations.
Bottom Line – How can an MSSP Help Your Firm?
It’s always a challenge to predict when, or if, your firm will be the victim of a cyber-attack. But statistics say it’s a high possibility. An MSSP can help you get ahead of potential threats by customizing your cyber-security strategy to solve security and compliance challenges. By using high-availability security operation centers (SOCs) to ensure your network is protected 24/7, an MSSP can be invaluable to your law firm.
For more information on a free dark web scan and how to keep your law firm safe, contact the JDL team at 973-607-2140 or fill out the form below.
Sources:
https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2018/07/18/cybersecurity-for-midsized-and-smaller-law-firms-10-tips-to-take-action-now/?slreturn=20190622114911asas
https://www.flexmanage.com/2018/04/10/four-reasons-your-law-firm-needs-managed-it-services/
https://www.eci.com/blog/16070-five-benefits-of-using-a-managed-services-provider-for-law-firms.html
http://www.technologyassociates.net/managed-services-for-law-firm-data-protection/
https://www.secureworks.com/blog/enterprise-security-mssp
https://www.tossc3.com/managed-security-service-providers-law-firms-need-one/
