Law firms are a high-value target for hackers due to the sensitive and confidential information they handle. The legal profession is not immune to cyberattacks, and it is essential to take proactive measures to prevent data breaches. Law firms must follow reasonable policies and practices to meet their obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) .
The weakest link in any security system lies somewhere between the office chair and the keyboard. Innocent mistakes are among the most common reasons why law firms suffer security breaches . Therefore, it is crucial to implement strong safeguards to prevent cyber intrusions and data breaches. Some of these measures include beefed-up firewalls, data encryption technology, antivirus protection, anti-malware software, virtual private networks, and mobile device remote-disabling/destruction capabilities, to name a few . It is also essential to ensure that computer operating systems, programs, and apps are fully updated with the latest versions and security patches .
In the event of a privacy breach, law firms must report any privacy breaches involving personal information to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta . The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by law firms in Alberta. Although PIPA doesnt contain specific timeframes, you must alert OIPC without unreasonable delay . The threshold test is whether there has been any unauthorized access to, or loss or disclosure of, personal information that has a real risk of significant harm to individuals . This applies if even only a single individual is affected.
When notifying OIPC, you must include a description of the circumstances of the breach, the date or time period when the breach occurred, a description of the personal information involved, an assessment of the risk of harm, the number of individuals facing a real risk of significant harm, steps taken to reduce the risk of harm, steps taken to notify individuals of the breach, and contact information of someone who can answer any questions from OIPC .
It is also advisable to preserve all evidence and secure IT systems and ensure that there is an appropriate chain of custody established to respond to the breach .
In conclusion, law firms must be diligent in how they handle and protect their data. Prevention is key, and it is essential to implement strong safeguards to prevent cyber intrusions and data breaches. In the event of a privacy breach, law firms must report