Assessing Cybersecurity Risks – What Attorneys Need to Know

Active

Program Number

3307

Program Date

2023-01-04

CLE Credits

Attorneys generate, transmit, receive, store and dispose of vast amounts of computer-generated client information. Increased utilization of remote work, multiple computing devices and methods (desktops, laptops, mobile devices, “cloud” or “virtualized” computing, etc.) have amplified an attorney’s professional and ethical obligations directed to competency, confidentiality, and supervision. Targeted cybersecurity attacks on attorneys and law firms of all sizes gaining access to law firm networks and client information have increased in both number and severity. These attacks typically some variant of ransomware, or disclosure of client confidential information. Of particular concern is the protection of client sensitive information, including HIPAA covered healthcare information as well as other personally identifiable information.

Protection of client confidential information (as well as proprietary practice information) from compromise means understanding the risks involved in generating, communicating, storing and disposing of computer-generated client and practice related information.

This panel, consisting of cybersecurity and privacy attorneys Steven W. Teppler and Lauren X. Topelsohn, will discuss:

What reasonable security means from the perspective of an attorney’s ethical and professional obligations
Why cybersecurity risk assessment is necessary for attorneys as well as clients
Risk avoidance, mitigation, and transference.