There has rarely been a radical economic, social or political change where a lawyer did not play a key role. Not surprisingly, however, the bar has traditionally lagged far behind in adapting to the technological changes overtaking the rest of the world.

The inconsistent response of the legal profession to the explosive growth in cyberattacks provides perhaps the best example of how lawyers fall short in minding their own store. This chasm, if left unaddressed, will leave us with a nation of counselors fundamentally ill-prepared to tackle the continuing cyberchallenge.

To truly remedy this shortcoming, the legal profession will have to embark on a path it is loath to travel. It will have to reform legal education in ­fundamental ways. Going forward, law students must be trained differently by placing an emphasis on information security as a fundamental tenant of the practice of the law. This is certainly a radical step, but also an absolutely necessary one.