A great website is an essential component of any law firm’s marketing success, but your firm’s website doesn’t just need to look polished and professional.  

It also needs to be secure, for the sake of both your clients and your practice.  

Cyber-attacks are expected to increase in 2023. According to a poll, 34.5% of executives reported that their accounting and financial data had been targeted by cyber adversaries over the last 12 months, and most of those respondents said they had been exposed to an online attack, sometimes more than one. 

Take Ohio midsize firm Bricker & Eckler, for example. Following the largest reported hack—which affected more than 430,000 people—the law firm settled claims in a class action lawsuit by paying $1.95 million.  

For legal professionals, the idea of dipping their toes into the highly technical waters of cybersecurity can sound overwhelming, but you don’t need an advanced degree in white hat security to ensure your firm’s data is under lock and key. Here’s how to protect your website and all the information on it. 

Threats to look out for 

There are many types of cybercrime, including phishing, malware, social engineering, and more.  With cyber-attacks becoming more prevalent, it’s critical to understand how your firm could be affected by criminals online and what you can do to prevent them from gaining access to your data.  

Data breaches 

One of the most significant risks for law firms is the threat of data breaches. Cybercriminals may attempt to target law firm websites to gain access to sensitive client information like personal details, financial records, or confidential legal documents.  

These data breaches can result in financial losses, legal consequences, and damage to a law firm’s reputation. 

Social engineering attacks 

Social engineering attacks entail manipulating individuals to disclose sensitive information or perform actions that could compromise your website’s security.  

This can include tactics like impersonation, pretexting, or eliciting information through deceptive means. 

Phishing attacks 

Both clients and law firm employees may be targeted by phishing attacks, which appear as deceptive emails or messages pretending to be from a trusted source. 

Phishing attacks attempt to trick recipients into sharing sensitive information like login credentials. These have gotten more sophisticated over the years, requiring consumers and employees to be increasingly vigilant. 

Malware 

Malware is intrusive software developed by hackers to corrupt computer networks and steal data, and it can include viruses, worms, ransomware, and spyware. Cybercriminals attempt to inject malicious code into a website in an effort to compromise its security.  

Malware can lead to data theft, system disruptions, or ransoming sensitive data by encrypting important documents and refusing to release them until the attacker is paid. 

Third-party software 

Many law firms use third-party software or plugins to enhance functionality on their websites. Unfortunately, vulnerabilities in these software components can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the website or sensitive information. 

DDoS Attacks 

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can overwhelm a website’s servers by flooding them with an excessive amount of traffic, which renders the website inaccessible to legitimate users.  

This practice causes disruptions to service and could potentially harm your firm’s reputation. 

Weak passwords and authentication 

Inadequate password policies that allow for weak passwords or password reuse can leave law firms vulnerable to unauthorized website access.  

Additionally, a lack of robust authentication measures like two-factor authentication could increase the risk of unauthorized account access. 

Protecting your website 

With all of the potential cyber threats out there, where does your law firm begin protecting its website from criminals or other malicious actors lurking online?  

Here are some steps that you can take to reduce the likelihood of your firm’s website being compromised: 

• Implement HTTPS on your website to add encryption. This boosts your website’s security, as well as its performance, SEO results, and client trust.  
• Require strong password requirements and regular password updates for both employees and clients to reduce the likelihood of individual accounts being compromised. 
• Use two-factor authentication to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to valuable information. 
• Regularly update software to keep your system up to date to prevent cyber criminals from exploiting weaknesses in outdated software. 
• Provide guidance to employees and clients for responding to emails and clicking links. Let them know they should never communicate or click a link in an email that doesn’t come from a trusted email address. 
• Use secure file-sharing tools to provide an extra layer of security for any documents that need to be sent to and from clients. 
• Take advantage of a website solution that’s designed for law firms and comes with the security measures needed to keep your data safe and your firm compliant. 

Introducing CosmoLex Websites 

Preventing data breaches and malicious attacks requires a comprehensive and proactive approach to cybersecurity—that’s why we created secure websites specifically for the legal industry. 

A secure website from CosmoLex comes with bank-grade SSL security, 4-layer spam protection, a robust firewall to defend you against cyber-attacks, and continuous backups to ensure that your data is always safe. 

Your firm can also expect SSAE SOC 2-compliant hosting to be included in your website’s design, providing you with peace of mind that you’ll be staying compliant with legal regulations. 

In addition to all of the security measures included in a website from CosmoLex, you’ll also benefit from:  

• A professionally designed, ready-to-use website that looks great and won’t break the bank. 
• 10 initial pages of legal-specific starter content to help your website get seen by the right people. 
• Mobile optimization that gives you the ability to reach the right audience. 
• Integration with CosmoLex client portals that allows you to accept client payments directly through your new website. 
• Click-to-call and email tools that streamline your marketing outreach efforts and help bring on new clients. 
• Search engine optimization (SEO) to help your page rank, which comes with access to high-quality content, keyword tracking, and optimized headers and loading speeds 

Upgrade your CosmoLex subscription with a new and improved website that will help keep your firm protected 

When you integrate your CosmoLex tools with CosmoLex Websites, you’ll not only keep your data safe—you’ll also be able to streamline your operations and make things more convenient for your firm and your clients.   

If you’re ready to take your firm to the next level with a professional, secure website, contact CosmoLex and get started today. If you don’t already have a CosmoLex account, schedule a demo or request a trial to see what CosmoLex can do for your firm.