Law Firms and the Scourge of Ransomware: How to Prevent, Detect, Respond, and Recover

BitDefender’s Mid-Year Threat Landscape Report 2020 showed that ransomware attacks were seven times more prevalent in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019. Today’s ransomware often steals your confidential data before its encryption. Frequently, we now see two ransoms demanded, one for the decryption key and one for a promise (because cybercriminals are so honorable) to destroy your data. Many law firms are paying, sometimes because they have cyberinsurance and paying is cheaper than being inoperative for an extended period of time. How do law firms get ransomware? How can they defend against it? If stricken, how should they handle the attack? Should you pay the ransomware? Is it illegal to pay the ransomware? Spoiler alert: Sometimes it is. How do you recover from a ransomware attack? Our experts will offer chilling stories of law firms crippled by ransomware along with tips for defending against and responding to ransomware.

Featured Topics

• Overview of Ransomware Attacks
• Prevention and Detection of Ransomware
• Defending Your Firm
• Response and Recovery If You Are the Victim of a Ransomware Attack

Faculty

Sharon D. Nelson, Fairfax, VA

Sharon D. Nelson is a practicing attorney and the President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. She is a past President of the Virginia State Bar, the Fairfax Bar Association and the Fairfax Law Foundation. She a Co-Author of 18 books published by the ABA. snelson@senseient.com.

John W. Simek, Fairfax, VA

John W. Simek is Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a nationally known expert in the area of digital forensics. He and Sharon provide managed legal technology, managed cybersecurity and digital forensics services from their Fairfax, Virginia firm. jsimek@senseient.com.

Charity Anastasio, AILA Practice Management Advisor, Washington DC

Charity Anastasio is a practice management advisor for AILA’s Practice & Professionalism Center. She works with AILA members on ethics and practice management issues through one-on-one consultations, publications, and presentations, and collaborates with the AILA Ethics Committee and Practice Management Interest Group. She is in leadership at the ABA Law Practice Division, is a past speaker at the ABA TECHSHOW 2019 and 2020, and is a ABA 2020 Women of Legal Tech Honoree. Find her on Twitter @charityanas or reach her at canastasio@aila.org or 202-507-7624.

By registering for this seminar you agree to abide by the AILA Virtual Code of Conduct.

Free Downloadable Seminar Recording Included with Live Registration Included with registration, participants in the live seminar will receive a free downloadable recording of the seminar. It will be available in participant's Agora Digital Library approximately 4-7 business days from the seminar date.