As cybercriminals get smarter and regulations get stricter, protecting your law firm’s data has turned into a firm-wide responsibility.
In this issue, we’re unpacking the biggest cybersecurity threats facing legal practices today, from the rise of Shadow IT to AI-enhanced attacks and the growing pressure of compliance obligations.
AI-Powered Threats and Social Engineering: A New Era of Risk for Law Firms
Cybercriminals are getting smarter and faster. In 2025, attackers have begun combining artificial intelligence with classic social engineering tactics to quietly infiltrate networks, hijack credentials, and deploy ransomware, all before your legal team finishes its morning coffee.
For law firms, which hold sensitive client data, financial information, and privileged communications, these hybrid threats are especially dangerous. Identity theft has become a gateway for attackers to impersonate attorneys, breach internal systems, and exfiltrate case-critical data.
Why Law Firms Must Embrace Zero Trust Now
The latest research from cybersecurity experts shows that attackers are exploiting valid credentials more than ever. That means traditional perimeter defenses aren’t enough.
Every user, whether they’re a partner working remotely or a vendor accessing your network, must be verified continuously. The zero trust model is now a lifeline for law offices.
Using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, analysts identified the five most common attack tactics in real-world breaches.
Here’s what law firms should be watching for:
- Initial Access (27% of escalated alerts): Threat actors are exploiting stolen login credentials to walk right through the front door. Whether acquired through phishing or data breaches, these credentials give attackers silent, early access to firm systems.
- Persistence (17%): Once inside, attackers set up mechanisms to stay hidden and active, even after your IT team thinks the threat is gone. This is how law firm breaches turn into months-long data leaks.
- Lateral Movement (10%): After gaining entry, they use the same valid credentials to move across systems and find valuable data like client files, settlement documents, or trial strategy.
- Execution: Malicious scripts, files, and remote commands are used to run code inside your environment. Often, this begins with phishing emails, infected downloads, or internal tools like PowerShell. Legal staff are prime targets because of the access they have.
- Credential Access (6%): Whether through brute force or other means, attackers are determined to gain higher-level access. Multiple failed logins or unexpected account lockouts are key warning signs that someone is trying to break in.
AI: The Double-Edged Sword
Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for law firms, helping with research, drafting, and even client intake. But every AI tool you adopt adds a new attack vector.
Even more concerning, cybercriminals are now leveraging AI to write phishing emails that closely mimic genuine messages, making them incredibly hard to spot.
Gone are the days when you could rely on spotting typos or strange email domains. Today’s AI-generated scams are personalized, grammatically perfect, and tailored to mimic real people, sometimes even your colleagues.
Internal awareness training alone isn’t enough anymore. AI-enhanced threats evolve faster than your team can keep up.
The Visibility Gap
Most law firms still struggle to monitor the activity of remote staff, contract attorneys, or third-party vendors.
Full visibility is often too expensive or too complex to manage internally. But without it, you’re blind to early-stage threats that move fast and quietly.
What Your Firm Can Do Today
- Implement Multi-Factor Authentication across all platforms, including your case management and billing systems.
- Embrace Zero Trust Principles. Verify every user, every time.
- Monitor for Abnormal Behavior, such as late-night logins, strange file transfers, or rapid privilege escalations.
- Partner With a Legal-Focused Cybersecurity Provider like Infoguard Security to get visibility, threat detection, and AI-aware protections tailored to the legal sector.
Cybersecurity Compliance for Law Firms
When most law firms think about cybersecurity, they tend to focus on IT infrastructure, such as firewalls, antivirus software, secure logins. But in 2025, protecting your firm’s digital assets means going well beyond that.
Today, cybersecurity is also about compliance, liability, and maintaining the trust your clients place in you.
Let’s be clear: law firms are in a uniquely risky position. You’re safeguarding highly sensitive client communications, court strategies, financial data, and sometimes even trade secrets. That makes your firm a prime target.
At the same time, the rules around how you must protect that data are tightening and failure to comply could land you in hot water with regulators, bar associations, or even clients themselves.
What Cybersecurity Compliance Really Means for Law Firms
Cybersecurity compliance means aligning your firm with the growing list of legal, ethical, and contractual obligations tied to digital data.
Here’s what you’re really dealing with:
1. Data Protection Laws
Whether you’re dealing with the GDPR in Europe, the CCPA in California, or other U.S. state-level privacy laws, one thing’s clear: your clients’ data is protected by law.
That means if your firm experiences a breach, you may be required to notify clients and in some cases, regulators, within a strict timeframe.
2. Industry Best Practices
Frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO 27001 aren’t technically mandatory for law firms, but more and more corporate clients expect their outside counsel to meet these standards.
In short: doing the minimum isn’t enough anymore.
3. Client-Imposed Security Requirements
If your firm works with banks, healthcare providers, or large corporations, don’t be surprised if they hand you a security questionnaire or expect you to follow strict protocols. This is increasingly becoming part of the client onboarding process.
4. Ethical Duties
Bar associations in many states now require attorneys to stay up to date on technology, especially when it relates to protecting client confidentiality. If your cybersecurity practices are outdated or sloppy, you could be violating professional ethics rules.
5 Steps Your Firm Can Take Right Now
The good news? You don’t need to tackle this alone. Here’s where to start:
- Run a Risk Assessment: Identify the gaps in your current cybersecurity posture. What data are you storing? Who has access? Where are the vulnerabilities?
- Create (and Enforce) Strong Policies: Your firm should have clear rules on passwords, software usage, remote work, and data handling. And yes, people need to follow them.
- Train Your Staff—Seriously: Phishing emails don’t just target the IT team. Attorneys and paralegals are often the easiest path in. Make sure everyone knows what to look for and what to avoid.
- Build an Incident Response Plan: If a breach happens, you need a plan. Who do you call? What steps do you take? How fast do you notify clients?
- Audit Your Systems Regularly: Compliance isn’t “set it and forget it.” Set a schedule to revisit your policies, review access logs, and test your protections.
How Unapproved Tech Tools Are Putting Law Firms at Risk
The ease and accessibility of modern technology have turned into a double-edged sword for law firms. While tools like cloud storage, messaging apps, and AI-powered platforms offer efficiency, their unsanctioned use, often referred to as “Shadow IT,” poses significant cybersecurity risks.
Shadow IT refers to the use of technology systems, devices, software, applications, and services without explicit IT department approval.
In law firms, this can manifest as:
- Attorneys using personal email accounts for client communication.
- Staff storing sensitive documents on unauthorized cloud services.
- Teams collaborating through unvetted messaging platforms.
Such practices, while seemingly harmless, can lead to data breaches, loss of client confidentiality, and non-compliance with legal and ethical obligations.
Risks Associated With Shadow IT
- Data Breaches: Unauthorized tools may lack robust security measures, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. A single breach can compromise sensitive client information, leading to reputational damage and potential legal consequences.
- Regulatory Non-Compliance: Law firms are bound by regulations like GDPR and CCPA, which mandate strict data protection protocols. Relying on unauthorized software or platforms can put your firm at risk of violating compliance requirements, potentially leading to significant penalties and regulatory action.
- Loss of Client Trust: Clients entrust law firms with their most confidential information. Any lapse in data security can erode this trust, impacting client relationships and future business.
Mitigating the Shadow IT Challenge
To address the risks posed by Shadow IT, law firms should consider the following steps:
- Implement Clear Policies: Establish and communicate policies regarding the use of technology tools, ensuring all staff understand the importance of using approved platforms.
- Regular Training: Educate attorneys and staff about the dangers of Shadow IT and the importance of adhering to IT guidelines.
- Monitor and Audit: Utilize monitoring tools to detect unauthorized applications and take corrective actions promptly.
- Foster Open Communication: Encourage staff to discuss their tech needs with the IT department, ensuring they have access to approved tools that meet their requirements.
At Infoguard Security, we specialize in helping law firms navigate the complexities of cybersecurity. Our services include:
- Risk Assessments: Identifying potential vulnerabilities in your firm’s IT infrastructure.
- Policy Development: Assisting in creating comprehensive IT usage policies tailored to your firm’s needs.
- Employee Training: Training your staff about cybersecurity best practices.
- Continuous Monitoring: Offering tools and services to monitor your IT environment, ensuring compliance and security.
Infoguard Security helps law firms like yours cope with these challenges with tailored, proactive solutions. Whether you’re looking to tighten compliance, audit your systems, or simply get a clearer picture of your risk exposure, we’re here to help.
Visit Infoguard Security to learn more.
If you found this newsletter helpful, forward it to your colleagues or share it with your network because cybersecurity is a team effort.
Best regards,
