The legal profession has not escaped the insidious onslaught of ransomware attacks that propagate as if a digital pandemic. I have researched nearly 1,200 ransomware attacks, of which over 40 occurred within the legal profession. I say directly, as many hundreds of other law firms and court systems were indirectly affected when their managed service providers (MSP) such as TrialWorks (October 2019) and Epiq Global (March 2020) were attacked. The aftermath of these attacks ranged from lost access to critical trial data, trial postponements, and requests for delays in various court proceedings. Suddenly losing access to case management and e-Discovery systems can be catastrophic.
Everyone Is Fair Game
Ransomware victims include law firms, courts, and legal service providers. Of the 42 legal profession organizations affected by ransomware, law firms are at the top of the list.
