Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer
Please enter a legal issue and/or a location
Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select

Find a Lawyer

More Options

Signs Your Law Firm Has Been Hacked

By William Vogeler, Esq. | Last updated on

Ignorance is no excuse, and intelligence is no guarantee.

In either case, it turns out that many lawyers do not know when their computers have been hacked. According to a survey of 200 law firms, about 40 percent did not realize their confidential client data had been breached.

Lawyers are not alone when it comes to cybersecurity challenges, but they have a high duty of care when it comes to protecting their information from hackers. Here are some signs your firm may have been hacked:

New Programs

If new programs show up on your computer, a hacker may have put them there. It could also have been your IT professional or an automatic update, but check them out.

Do not, however, open a suspicious program. Backdoors and trojans are the most common programs installed by hackers. They allow the hacker to gain access to your information.

Changed Passwords

Passwords don't change by themselves. Like Yahoo learned when it was hacked,1.5 billion email accounts can be wronged.

Hackers will change account passwords to make it easier for them to get your data. If your password has changed, reset it or contact the applicable service provider.

Computer Going Solo

The biggest tell-tale sign of an active hack-attack is a computer acting on its own. If a cursor starts to move across your computer screen all by itself, it's probably because a hacker is doing it remotely.

In the age of smart, voice-enabled devices, it is possible that your computer could be activated by randomly picking up a word or two. But it should not have a mind of its own.

If you don't know whether your firm has been hacked, here are some of the best ways to protect your computers.

Have an open position at your law firm? Post the job for free on Indeed, or search local candidate resumes.

Related Resources:

FindLaw has an affiliate relationship with Indeed, earning a small amount of money each time someone uses Indeed's services via FindLaw. FindLaw receives no compensation in exchange for editorial coverage.

Was this helpful?

You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help

Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help.

Or contact an attorney near you:
Copied to clipboard