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Law Firms Grapple With Cybersecurity Issues and Regulatory Risks

By Joe Kelly
May 01, 2016

Security is always a concern for law firms, and the risks have only grown in recent years. Increasingly, attorneys, staff and clients have become more mobile and rely on an array of laptops, smartphones and tablets to stay connected 24/7. As more data is created and resides in more places, it becomes more vulnerable.

Law firms are not immune from deliberate and accidental data breaches, and the stakes for these kinds of incidents are extremely high. Lawyers know their ethical obligations to protect client information and maintain attorney-client privilege. They may be less aware, however, of their obligations to protect data security under such federal regulations as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Omnibus Rule and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). Falling victim to cybersecurity breaches and hackers can leave law firms open to sanctions, fines, unfavorable publicity and the loss of clients.

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