Ransomware Attack on DLA Piper Puts Law Firms, Clients on Red Alert
The implications of network-crippling malware may be just as damaging for a deadline-driven service industry that holds the fate of companies' legal issues in its palm.
June 27, 2017 at 04:54 PM
6 minute read
The original version of this story was published on The American Lawyer
By now, every managing partner has heard the warning: Law firms and their clients' sensitive information are a treasure trove for hackers.
But the ransomware attack Tuesday on DLA Piper sounded a different type of alarm for Big Law. The world's biggest firms are just as prone to ransomware attacks as any other company, and the potential ramifications of a network-crippling malware infection are wide-ranging for a service industry that holds the legal fate of corporations in its palm.
Consider litigators unable to access motions on a deadline. Trial lawyers preparing for arguments without key documents. Transactional lawyers unable to communicate with clients attempting to close multibillion-dollar deals.
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