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Will Ransomware Attack Make Law Firms 'WannaCry'?
Employees the world over were locked out of their computers on May 12 and over that following weekend as an insidious and widespread cyberattack nicknamed “WannaCry” rolled through the Internet and into headlines. See, “WannaCry Ransomware: What We Know Monday,” NPR.org (May 15, 2017). The ransomware attack, which for now seems to have been halted, encrypts a computer or network's data and demands $300 in the online currency bitcoin to unlock the data. See, “'Accidental Hero' Halts Ransomware Attack and Warns: 'This Is Not Over,'” The Guardian (May 13, 2017).
While data breach experts said the attack was not particularly complex — it was distributed through an infected email attachment and could have been prevented by staying up-to-date with a Windows patch — the scale of the breaches served as a reminder of the seemingly ubiquitous risk of cyberattacks.
Luckily for U.S. law firms, those same experts said it was unlikely that this particular ransomware attack hit many of them. The targets were disproportionately located overseas and in the health care industry. However, experts fear that the aftershocks could be felt here. See, “Ransomware's Aftershocks Feared as U.S. Warns of Complexity,” New York Times (May 14, 2017).
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Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
The Article 8 Opt In
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