The legal industry, specifically Biglaw firms, continue to bear the brunt in the surge of cyberattacks, with 2024 projected to mark the highest year yet for law firm data breaches. With only a few months into the year, 21 companies have already logged data breach reports with state attorney offices, continuing the disturbing trend from last year that saw 28 such reports.
As reported by the American Lawyer, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, a top-ranked Biglaw firm, has encountered a hack this year. Having grossed a revenue of $598,000,000 in 2023 and placed 83rd on the Am Law 100, Taft Stettinius & Hollister was a victim of a ransomware attack in late 2023. The critical severity of this breach was highlighted by the unauthorized access to data housed in a limited number of secondary servers and workstations, some containing client and personal information.
Cyberattacks targeted against law firms are wide-ranging, not exclusively impacting top-tier firms. The vulnerabilities resonated with three Am Law 200 firms – Robinson & Cole; Butler Snow; and Burr & Forman – all of which also filed data breach reports this year.
This significant concern is forcing law firms across all dimensions to take proactive measures to repel cyberattacks. In doing so, they hope to prevent compromising their client’s data and prevent dealing with the aftermath of data breaches, which would inevitably tarnish their reputation and credibility.