Cyber Security in 2014: Issue Spotting and Beyond

If you're sick of hearing Edward Snowden's name, join the club. If anything, the buzz should make one thing clear -- cyber security was one of the biggest issues of 2013. To deal with this ongoing security concern, Kroll, a company dedicated to risk management and response, has outlined seven areas that will be heading up the cyber security debate.

For your reference, we've distilled Kroll's findings and found three main areas of concern for cyber security in 2014: evolving standards, understanding threats and achieving accountability.

1. Evolving Standards

No longer just for the government or companies that are part of the "critical infrastructure," all companies are increasingly expected to keep up with evolving cyber security standards. From best practices, uncovering data breaches, and procedures for breach remediation, companies must stay up to date with the latest developments. If not, your corporate clients (large and small) and your own firm could face legal implications like dealing with regulators or shareholder lawsuits.

2. Understanding Threats

Knowing where data breaches occur is half the battle. If Snowden taught us anything, it's that subcontractors must be properly vetted. Not only that, but the "insider threat" is pervasive. The recent Target debacle only re-enforces this issue.

3. Achieving Accountability

The last hot issues deal with achieving accountability -- the hallmark of compliance and just plain good lawyering. Whether for your own firm, or corporate clients, great care must be taken in crafting policies such as BYOD and cloud adoption. Furthermore, you may want to advise corporate clients to not be surprised if the corporate audit committees start sniffing around for a cyber security plan -- according to Kroll, they expect audit committees to "expand their attention" to explore the "connection between cyber security and an organization's financial well-being."

Cyber security threats are here to stay. The plans and procedures your firm and clients develop -- for customers and employees -- will affect everything from day-to-day operations, to financial viability. Make sure that you add "dealing with cyber security issues" to your goals for 2014.

Related Resources:

• Protect Your Firm From Cyber Attack: Tips to Boost Cyber Security (FindLaw's Technologist Blog)
• National Cyber Security Awareness Month: Resources and Tips (FindLaw's In House Blog)
• Cybersecurity Law Firms: You're Just Using Me for my Privilege (FindLaw's In House Blog)
• FindLaw's Corporate Counsel Center (FindLaw)