Legal professionals who value their confidentiality should rethink their public approach to typing sensitive information. Existing concerns over cell phones intercepting confidential conversations has expanded into a far-reaching vulnerability. Unlike the known questionable habit of discussing sensitive matters voluntarily in public, the new threat is much more inconspicuous, fueled by the widespread acceptance of text communication.
In the context of this new cyber risk, the nuanced sound of each keystroke on your device could potentially be interpreted and deciphered by third parties. Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence that can detect and translate the sounds of user keystrokes via an iPhone microphone with an impressive 95% accuracy. Zoom, the much relied upon video conferencing tool amidst the pandemic, exposes users to further risk as the algorithm demonstrated a high accuracy of 93% when trained on keystrokes recorded using the software.
These high levels of accuracy underline the potential risks to both confidential messages and passwords. Indeed, any communication typed on a device could potentially be intercepted and interpreted. This new development provides a compelling argument for users to mute Zoom unless actively speaking and serves as a stark reminder of the potential hazards of typing sensitive information in public.
Ideally, measures should be in place to minimize the exposure of sensitive information, particularly when it comes to lawyers transiting with pertinent data between their homes and workplaces. Considering the proven success of remote working models, it would make sense for both legal firms and corporations to leverage this approach to decrease the vulnerability of their data. A good example would be the successful model that sees law firm professionals forgo long commutes without denting profits.
As technology continues to evolve and the tools available for data theft become more sophisticated, it is critical for all legal professionals to stay up-to-date and maintain a proactive approach to safeguarding their sensitive information.