Is your law firm vulnerable to a data breach? In the spring of 2016, hackers breached some of the must prestigious law firms in the United States. Unfortunately, these firms were not alone in their vulnerability.

According to Forbes, close to one-third American legal firms have failed to even assess their cyber risk. Almost half don’t test for security vulnerabilities in a systematic way.

The network vulnerability inherent in most law firms has combined with the growing push to the cloud. For hackers, it may be the perfect storm.

Five Cyber Security Trends Affecting Your Practice in 2017

While American companies are conducting business as usual, cyber criminals are looking for ways to cause disruption. The security risk is constantly evolving. In 2017, five technology trends have emerged that experts say will be the most used tools in the hackers’ toolkits.

1. IoT Devices
Digital devices are everywhere – from your home refrigerator to your office printer. This is the “Internet of Things,” and while these tools signal an important technology shift, they also heighten our need for security. For hackers, the IoT allows an entirely new way to access your network.

2. Ransomware
Ransomware is when hackers attack a computer and lock the files down until a ransom is paid. Law Technology Today calls this form of cyber-bullying “epidemic” in law firms.

3. Fileless Malware
Hackers are now using fileless malware that doesn’t copy folders to the hard drive. Instead, it attaches directly into your computer’s running processes. In February 2017 it was reported that financial institutions in 40 countries were targeted with these viruses.

4. SSL + Phishing + HTTPS
Technologists have preached that if you’re in the cloud and entering personal information, make sure the site is HTTPs enabled. But looking for that little green padlock isn’t enough anymore. Those sites use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an encryption protocol that’s supposed to keep you safe. Not anymore. A new company is offering free access to SSL certification. Formerly the process was too expensive for hackers to buy into. In 2017, phishing scammers are gleefully capitalizing on more relaxed rules about who can buy access to SSL certification.

5. DDoS Attacks
A Distributed Denial of Service attack can overwhelm a server with traffic with the goal of crashing it. These happen about 2,000 times each day around the world.

Keep up with news related to technology that can help protect your law firm:

How a Managed Service Provider Can Mitigate Your Risk

The International Legal Technology Association suggests cyber security is the number one technology issue for law firms in 2017.  A managed service provider works non-stop to mitigate network vulnerabilities. Deploying security-as-a-service through a managed service provider will protect your firm

From assessing your vulnerabilities to creating a tailored plan to reduce risk, managed service providers can help with Internet email security, intrusion management, encryption, data loss prevention, and business continuity planning.

Enlisting security experts to consistently audit for network weakness should be a crucial part of your cyber security plan for 2017. TOSS C3 helps businesses migrate to the cloud while mitigating risk. Get a free assessment today!