In February 2013 Joe Patrice wrote in his Above The Law column that law firms were the “soft underbelly of American cybersecurity.” Just over a year later, it is safe to say that many law firms across the U.S., Canada and Europe take exception to that characterization.  Why?  In part due to the efforts of individual firms to adopt ISO 27001 security standards or implement more robust security programs, including information security education.
In February 2013 the former special agent in charge of cyber and special operations with the FBI’s New York office, Mary Galligan, stated “We have hundreds of law firms that we see increasingly being targeted by hackers.”
There isn’t one single law firm CIO or director of IT that doesn’t understand the weight of these statements.  Many large law firms have actively engaged in internal and external initiatives to fight security threats. And many midsize, large, and international law firms are actively participating in the  International Legal Technology Association’s LegalSEC initiative, which provides the legal community with guidelines for risk-based information security programs that are achievable, measurable and mature.