The vulnerability of law firms to cyberattacks, already one of the big legal stories of 2016, is back in the news now that a judge has unsealed a class action lawsuit alleging the firm Johnson & Bell doesn’t adequately protect client information from hackers. In-house counsel say the lawsuit is a good reminder of the importance of questioning outside firms about their cybersecurity efforts.
The suit against Johnson & Bell, which was filed in April in U.S. District Court in Chicago and unsealed on Dec. 9, makes no actual claim that data was stolen or used against clients. Instead, the allegation is that because of vulnerabilities in the firm’s computer systems, “confidential information entrusted to Johnson & Bell by its clients has been exposed and is at great risk of further unauthorized disclosure (if it hasn’t already been disclosed).”
