Since the revelations in the Edward Snowden case and the discovery of the Heartbleed flaw which led to the massive theft of personal data, hackers are very much in the news. But now, web hackers are starting to target lawyers and other legal professionals who are supposed to ensure that their clients’ information is duly protected.
The “hacking” consists of a discreet exchange of illegal and/or personal information by breaking into a network. This is becoming common practice and should constitute a real threat, not only to businesses, but also to States, in the years to come. According to the head of Israeli military intelligence, hacking will soon become “the greatest evolution” in warfare techniques, greater than gunpowder or air forces. And this is a matter of great concern for legal professionals.
Indeed, more and more clients are requesting firms to adopt additional measures to monitor their networks and thus prevent the leakage of confidential or valuable information, such as trade secrets. Another major concern is the possibility for hackers to retrieve bids or tenders before these are made public.
The police have for a long time been apprehensive of the fact that law firms do not protect themselves enough against computer hackers. Yet, since 2011, the American FBI has been organising awareness sessions on computer security and industrial espionage. However, according to Mickael Stout, a consultant in computer security, “the hackers will not stop anytime soon, and it is obvious that companies will have to keep up with the latest technology to ward off all threats.”
It must be noted that this movement is in fact gaining more ground, instead of weakening. The emergence of “Hackivists” such as the Anonymous, with a political aim is to make public certain information, left a deep impression globally. It is therefore highly recommended to keep close track of developments in technology and to secure as much as possible all of the companies’ data.
Dreyfus is specialised in the protection of intellectual property online and can assist you in defining your strategiesand reinforcing the measures you plan to implement. Please contact us for further details.