Clients trust you with their legal cases and their money, but can they trust you with their personal data?
Learn how to navigate the changing landscape of cybersecurity with the D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Program's "Information Security for Law Firms: Ethically Protecting Your Client's Confidential Data" course on Wednesday, August 17, from 12 to 2:10 p.m., at the D.C. Bar Conference Center.
"2016 was the year the code of silence was shattered about cyberattacks on law firms," says featured security expert Sharon Nelson of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. Her husband John Simek, vice president of Sensei, also will be speaking.
While cyberattacks on political parties and corporations are frequently in the news, less publicized was the targeted hack last February of 48 elite law firms by Russian hacker "Oleras" to obtain confidential client information for financial gain.
"Law firms are honey pots to cybercriminals," says Nelson. "They hold tons of data on many different people and organizations. Cybercriminals want big economic data. Lawyers who do mergers and acquisitions or intellectual property law are particularly attractive. Hackers want insider knowledge."
The legal community is just now waking up to the threat, says Nelson. "They've realized they have an imperative to be secure."
Nelson argues that cybersecurity is a concern for everyone, not just big law firms. "What we see is the tip of the iceberg. It's very hard to admit to your clients that your data has been breached. You don't want to see your clients stampeding out the door," she says.
This CLE course also will cover the ethics issues involved in protecting your client's confidential data, including a discussion of Rules 1.1 and 1.6 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and your responsibility to understand and take steps to prevent data breaches.
Register for the in-person class or Webinar today!