The Risks of Cyber Attacks in Barristers' Chambers

Cybercrime is becoming more profitable than ever before. This means that sensitive organisations, such as barristers’ chambers, are at risk. If you want to keep your organisation safe from cyber attacks, you’ll need to be aware of the risks and take steps to mitigate them.

So what are some of the biggest threats that a barrister’s office faces today and how can you use cyber security monitoring tools to fight back? This article lists some of the main cybercrime methods you need to be aware of.

Confidentiality

One of the most significant cyber risks for barristers’ chambers is that a cyber breach could result in a violation of client confidentiality. Cybercriminals know that barristers often handle sensitive client information. Unfortunately, this makes them a good target for cybercriminals, which could be someone trying to get details about a criminal case on behalf of one of the people involved in the case. These kinds of data breaches could have severe consequences for your company. Not only will you face reputational damage and a loss of client trust, but you might also face legal consequences.

Thankfully, there are many ways you can defend your barristers’ chambers. You’ll need to implement encryption and secure data storage, along with data access controls. Given how vital confidentiality is in legal practices, working with an external company with legal cyber security experience is the right course of action.

Ransomware

Given the importance of legal data, barristers’ chambers are an incredibly attractive target for cybercriminals. The fundamentals of ransomware are quite simple.

Cybercriminals trick someone into opening a malware file. Once the file is open, it applies unbreakable encryption to the system’s files. The only way to get the files back is by inputting a decryption key that only the ransomware attacker can provide. Generally, the only way to get this key is by paying a cash ransom to the attackers. Naturally, this puts barristers’ chambers in a difficult position. While you need to safeguard your data, you also can’t negotiate with criminals.

Ransomware attacks can lead to significant downtime and financial losses. Thankfully, there are ways you can protect yourself from this kind of attack. You’ll need to have a robust file backup system that keeps multiple copies of your essential files. With this kind of system in place, the ransomware attack is useless. You can simply revert to one of your backup files without worrying about negotiating with the criminals.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are still a common type of cyberattack. Phishing attacks involve tricking someone into inputting their login credentials into a fake (but convincing) website. Often, criminals create a fake login page for the organisation they’re targeting.

Generally, they trick the victims into using this fake login page by impersonating a trusted individual. Phishing attacks are often a stepping stone towards another attack. Having login information may give criminals access to all your internal cyber systems.

Sometimes, cybercriminals cast a wide net and try phishing techniques on a large number of people at once. On the other hand, they’ll sometimes target specific people or organisations. Barristers’ chambers can make an attractive target for this kind of attack because of the sensitive data they handle.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take against phishing attacks. One of the main and most effective defence mechanisms is having a multifactor authentication login system. This is when you’ll need to confirm your identity using a second device whenever you log in. For example, you might log in via a website, and you’ll receive a code on your mobile phone. A cybercriminal would then need to compromise your phone as well if they wanted to breach your systems.

You can also help to prevent phishing attacks through staff awareness training. Phishing scams often have telltale signs you can easily spot (if you know what to look for). For example, fake login sites often use misspellings of the original URL.

Software Exploits

Some of the most devastating cyberattacks in history happened because attackers were able to exploit security holes in software. Legal organisations such as barristers’ chambers need to ensure they only use secure software. This can be a challenge as cybercriminals frequently identify new weaknesses in software they can exploit.

Thankfully, good software vendors identify these problems and release a security patch to fix the problem. If you want to stay safe from software exploits, you’ll need to ensure you always keep your software up to date.

You’ll also need to ensure you work with software companies that take security seriously. It may make sense to work with a cyber security monitoring company to help keep you aware of any software exploits that could potentially impact your organisation.

Cyber Security Monitoring Tools Can Help

If you want to stay on top of all of the potential cyber threats, you need to have the right safeguards. Cyber security monitoring tools can help you to stay aware of all the potential threats to your organisation.

Do you want to work with a company that can help you to implement a robust cyber monitoring system? Contact us today and we’ll explain how we can help.