We Assist Law Firms and Their Clients with Implementing Cybersecurity Measures and Responding to Cybersecurity Threats
Law Firm Consulting Lead – Timothy E. Allen | Former Special Agent (U.S. Secret Service & DOJ-OIG)
In today’s world, law firms have an extraordinary amount of responsibility when it comes to maintaining effective cybersecurity. Law firms are prime targets for hostile attacks, and breaches can have enormous consequences. Cybersecurity is increasingly becoming a top concern for other businesses as well, and many companies look to their law firms to tell them both what to do and how to do it.
At Corporate Investigation Consulting, we bring both government and private sector experience to helping law firms and their clients implement effective cybersecurity protocols. Our team includes several former high-ranking agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies, as well as a former leading cybersecurity consultant at the U.S. Secret Service. We work with law firms and companies of all sizes across the country—assisting with both cybersecurity implementation and cybersecurity breach response.
Cybersecurity Strategy Development and Implementation
Different law firms and companies have different cybersecurity needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and off-the-shelf products simply are not enough. Law firms need to adopt cybersecurity measures that are tailored to their specific risks, taking into account factors including:
- The nature of clients’ confidential and proprietary data
- The firm’s information technology (IT) infrastructure
- Whether the firm relies on cloud storage or other remote technology platforms
- Whether the firm manages its IT infrastructure in house and/or relies on managed services
- The devices used by the firm’s attorneys and professional staff
- Whether and to what extent the firm’s attorneys and professional staff work remotely
- Whether and to what extent the firm’s attorneys and professional staff travel internationally
As a general rule, law firms must either (i) limit what information they receive from their clients, or (ii) implement cybersecurity measures that are equal to or greater than those implemented by their clients with the greatest cybersecurity needs. For law firms that work with defense contractors, thinktanks, high technology companies, and other clients that have high cybersecurity demands, the latter can represent a significant undertaking.
We work with law firms and their clients to assess and address their cybersecurity needs—regardless of how substantial (or insubstantial) those needs may be. We provide custom-tailored solutions, and our senior consultants work directly with firms’ and companies’ leaders and key stakeholders to ensure that we are able to fully identify and address all pertinent risks and compliance obligations.
Put our highly experienced team on your side
Roger Bach
Former Special Agent (OIG)
Timothy E. Allen
Former Senior Special Agent U.S. Secret Service
Chris J. Quick
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Maura Kelley
Former Special Agent (FBI)
Ray Yuen
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Michael S. Koslow
Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)
Marquis D. Pickett
Special Agent U.S. Secret Service (ret.)
Cybersecurity Breach Response
In addition to assisting with cybersecurity strategy development and implementation, we also assist with cybersecurity breach response. These are heavily time-sensitive scenarios that require immediate action. With our agents’ and consultants’ past experience in both the public and private sectors, we are intimately familiar with the regulatory, liability, and public relations considerations involved, and we are prepared to deploy immediately in order to investigate and help mitigate any potential consequences to the greatest extent possible.
FAQs: Cybersecurity Strategy and Breach Response
Q: What types of cybersecurity risks do law firms and their clients face on a day-to-day basis?
Law firms and their clients can face numerous different types of cybersecurity risks. The specific risks a firm or company faces will depend largely on two main factors: (i) the size of the firm or company (and thus the perceived size of the target), and (ii) the type of data that the firm or company stores. Generally speaking, however, the main types of cybersecurity threats against which law firms and companies must protect themselves include:
- Malicious code
- Denial-of-service attacks
- Malware, spyware, ransomware
- Botnets, rootkits, and other hidden threats
- Spoofing and other fraudulent identification
- File corruption
- File interception
- Phishing
- Email imposter scams
- Website attacks
- Network attacks
- Attacks targeting mobile devices
Q: What can law firms and their clients do to manage their cybersecurity risk effectively?
Effectively managing cybersecurity risk requires a multi-faceted approach that is custom-tailored to a law firm’s or company’s specific risks. At Corporate Investigation Consulting, we help law firms and companies protect their confidential and proprietary data through means including (but not limited to):
- Multi-factor authentication
- Password management
- Firewalls and encryption techniques
- Establishment of virtual private networks (VPNs)
- Cybersecurity policies and procedures
- Employee education and training
- Vendor and supply chain cybersecurity auditing and risk management
Q: How can law firms and companies assess the strength of their cybersecurity protocols?
At Corporate Investigation Consulting, we help law firms and companies assess the strength of their cybersecurity protocols by conducting penetration testing at all levels and all potential sources of intrusion. This includes everything from testing firewalls to auditing lawyers’ and other employees’ personal data security practices. Once we conduct a thorough assessment, we then systematically analyze the results, and this allows us to clearly identify where additional cybersecurity measures are necessary.
Q: How does Corporate Investigation Consulting assist with cybersecurity breach response?
We take a similarly systematic approach to assisting with cybersecurity breach response. When working with law firms, we trust the firm’s attorneys to be able to handle the legal aspects of implementing response protocols, so we typically focus our efforts elsewhere. In virtually all cases, this begins with identifying the source of the intrusion. Identifying the source is critical, as this allows for the identification and execution of necessary measures to terminate unauthorized access and stop the outflow of confidential and proprietary data.
Once we have identified the source of the intrusion, we then work with the firm’s or company’s IT personnel to implement all necessary corrective measures. Once the issue has been fixed, we then conduct additional penetration testing and consult with the firm or client regarding how best to prevent future attacks.
Speak with a Senior Cybersecurity Consultant at Corporate Investigation Consulting
If you would like more information about our cybersecurity strategy implementation or breach response services, please contact us to arrange a confidential consultation with one of our senior cybersecurity consultants. You can reach us nationwide 24/7 at 866-352-9324, or contact us online and one of our senior consultants will be in touch with you shortly.