Signs Your Law Firm Has Been Hacked

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:
- 6 Major Law Firm Hacks in Recent History (ABA Journal)
- 6 Things Lawyers Need to Know About Cyber Insurance (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Are Nuclear and Energy Sectors at Risk of Hacking? (FindLaw's Technologist)
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