Legal

Sensitive client data is vulnerable both to extortion and exploitation by cybercriminals, e.g., information may be used for insider trading. Client information may be worth millions of dollars to the opposing side in lawsuits Because of strict deadlines for litigation and other legal filing requirements, they need to have email and IT systems up and running quickly, meaning that, law firms are more likely to pay ransoms rather than incur penalties or lose lawsuits Stealing client information from law firms is very useful for constructing targeted phishing scams. As even the largest law firms are smaller than large enterprise businesses, their security posture is typically less sophisticated than businesses in other industries, making them easier targets.

According to the ABA's 2021 Legal Technology Survey Report:

25% of respondents reported that their firm has been breached at some point. Of the companies that have been breached, 29% of them reported infections from malware, spyware, and ransomware.