5 Entries for your
Risk Register
The 5 cyber risks most likely to affect fee earning, client trust and firm reputation
A member of staff is tricked by a convincing email, message or fake login page and gives a criminal access to the firm's systems.
Confidential data could be exposed. Email accounts could be accessed. Money could be put at risk. Fee earners could lose time while the issue is investigated and contained.
Train staff regularly. Use extra sign-in protection across all accounts. Review unusual login activity. Make this a regular management discussion, not just an IT task.
A criminal interferes with email communication and changes bank details or payment instructions.
Client or firm money could be lost. Matters could be delayed. Trust could be damaged very quickly. The regulatory and reputational consequences could be serious.
Never rely on email alone for bank detail changes. Introduce a simple call-back process for payment changes. Make high-risk matters subject to extra checks. Ensure staff know this is one of the biggest risks facing law firms.
A cyber attack stops staff accessing files, email, case systems or other important services.
Fee earners cannot work properly. Deadlines may be missed. Clients may lose confidence. Recovery can be costly and disruptive.
Make sure backups exist and can actually be restored. Keep systems updated. Reduce unnecessary access rights. Have a clear response plan so the firm knows what to do if this happens.
A software provider, outsourced partner or other supplier suffers a cyber incident that affects your firm.
Your systems or data may still be impacted even if the problem started elsewhere. Service disruption, data exposure and client concern can still land with your firm.
Review key suppliers properly. Understand who has access to your systems and data. Check contracts and responsibilities. Keep a record of critical suppliers and the risk each one brings.
An incident happens, but the firm is unclear on who is responsible, what to do next, or how to communicate internally and externally.
A small issue can become a major one. Downtime lasts longer. Decisions are delayed. Clients may feel the firm is not in control.
Have a practical incident response plan. Be clear who owns decisions. Test the plan from time to time. Make sure leadership is involved, not just the IT team or provider.
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