Legal Sector
Cyber Threat Analysis
Law firms remain high-value targets for cyber criminals, nation-state actors, and hacktivist groups due to the sensitive, high-profile data they manage.
Globally and in the United Kingdom, the legal sector has experienced a sharp rise in cyber-attacks, with ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and data exfiltration incidents dominating the threat landscape.
UK LAW FIRMS ARE UNDER FIRE
In the past year, UK law firms saw a 77% rise in successful cyber attacks, totalling 954 incidents, up from 538 the previous year. This surge is attributed to the value of sensitive personal and financial information these firms handle, making them attractive targets for cyber criminals.
+ DPP Law Ltd (UK) - A ransomware attack led to the exposure if 32GB of sensitive client data on the dark web. The ICO fined the firm £60,000 for failing to secure client data.
+ 43% of UK businesses reported a cyber breach in the last year, with law firms among the most affected.
+ New UK Cyber Security Laws - These new introductions aim to strengthen data protection and network security within UK firms.
LEGAL SECTOR THREAT TRENDS
Our team of cyber threat analysts have observed a sharp rise in AI-driven attacks, with 66% of organisations noting AI as a major game-changer in cyber security and a cause for concern. Generative AI has fuelled an increase in increasingly convincing phishing campaigns and social engineering.
Supply Chain Vulnerabilities:
Supply chain attacks, such as the 2024 Snowflake breach affecting 165 organisations, remaining a significant threat. These attacks often exploit stolen credentials and a lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
19,000
Increase in AI-Driven Attacks:
Zero-Day Exploits:
Our threat intelligence has identified that cyber criminals are increasingly exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2025-22604 in the Cacti framework and CVE-2024-55591 in Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, to gain unauthorised access.
Organisations Affected by Ransomware Attacks:
Ransomware attacks doubled globally from 2024 to 2025, affecting an estimated 19,000 organisations, including many law firms. The average cost of a ransomware incident (excluding phishing) is £990 per business, but cyber-facilitated fraud costs averaging £5,900
66%
What Methods Are Being Employed By Attackers?
+ Phishing & Social Engineering Attacks
Phishing attacks employ deceptive emails, text messages or website links to try and trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords or payment information. Cyber criminals will also use complex social engineering techniques (now often enhanced by AI) to create convincing impersonation attempts.
+ Insider Threats/Error
Insider threats are essentially dangers to your data that come from individuals with legitimate authorised access to your network or systems, but exploit and abuse these access privileges to intentionally or unintentionally cause harm or expose data for financial gain or in some cases sabotage the organisation.
+ Ransomware & Data Extortion
Ransomware refers to a malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data and demands a ransom for its release. Cyber criminals will exploit vulnerabilities in and organisations systems to gain network access and breach sensitive data - encrypting legal documents and threatening to release information if ransom isn’t paid.
+ Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks
A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack overwhelms a target server or network with malicious traffic that disrupts normal operations and prevents functionality for legitimate users. DDoS attacks were experienced by around 36% of higher education institutions over the past 12 months.
How PureCyber Will Secure Your Organisation:
Comprehensive, 24/7 Active Threat Protection - Our combined cyber security solutions offer you a complete package of 24/7 protection, proactive threat intelligence, expert consultancy & real-world attack simulations to ensure you are prepared, compliant and secure.
Only need a particular service? Our team of expert cyber security and governance specialists will work alongside your organisation to offer support across a range of services:
Managed SOC Services:
From 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) monitoring, to Threat Exposure Management (TEM), Vulnerability Scanning, Managed Detection & Response/Endpoint Protection, Phishing Simulations, Breach Monitoring and Incident Response, we have all the managed cyber security solutions you need to keep your network secure - safe in the knowledge that your systems are being monitored and protected by an expert team of cyber professionals.
Penetration Testing:
Identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your network/systems with Application Testing, Infrastructure Testing, Red Teaming & IT Health Checks. Our CREST certified team of penetration testers will push your network security to it’s limits, remediating vulnerabilities and offering insight into the health our your IT environment.
Governance Support:
Ensuring your organisation is compliant with regulatory requirements and expectations is the backbone of your organisational cyber security. As an NCSC Certified Assurance Provider, our consultancy services offer guidance and support in improving organisations cyber policies, achieving accreditations, auditing cyber posture and approach and reaching compliance standards.
Our certified team of Lead Auditors, Lead Implementors, and CISSP consultants are here to guide and support you on all aspect of your cyber security compliance needs including consultancy on CE, CEP & IASME, ISO27001, Incident Response Simulation, Cyber Security Audits, vCISO & Awareness Training.
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