Business email compromise is a huge issue for companies of all sizes. However, law firms are especially at risk, as they often deal with sensitive information that can be used for financial gain or extortion.

In this blog post, we will discuss the various ways that law firms can prevent their emails from becoming compromised. This blog will also provide a list of cybersecurity measures that you can take to protect your business.

Why Should Law Firms Care About Cybersecurity?
While cybersecurity measures protect the longevity of your business, they are especially important for law firms that must comply with industry regulations. Regulatory compliance is just one facet of expert cybersecurity, and the standards that apply to a law firm often depend on the nature of the data they handle. Some common compliance standards include:

Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Officially enforced in 1983 by the American Bar Association, this set of rules reinforces ethical, and professional legal boundaries for lawyers in the United States.
National Institute of Standards and Technology: While NIST outlines a series of regulations advantageous to the private sector as well, a law firm may need to comply with NIST guidelines depending on their government contracts or clientele.
Industry-Specific Compliance Standards: As stated, depending on the nature of data a law firm handles, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), or other industry regulations could be applicable, all of which require professional IT management when it comes to cybersecurity compliance.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training
One of the best ways to prevent email compromise is to train your employees on cybersecurity awareness. Employees should be trained on how to spot phishing emails, as well as what to do if they receive one. They should know not to click on links or attachments from unknown senders. If an employee does receive a suspicious email, they must know to report it to their IT department or security team.

Many IT companies can provide this training for your office and employees. They’re a valuable resource for safeguarding your business against email compromise and other cybersecurity threats, especially since they know the specific risks your business and industry face.

Multi-Factor Authentication
Another way to prevent email compromise is to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all of your employees. MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to enter a one-time code, in addition to their username and password, when logging into their email account. This code can be generated by an app on the user’s phone or sent via text message.

MFA makes it much more difficult for attackers to gain access to your email accounts, even if they have stolen employee credentials. In order to enable MFA for your employees, you will need to use an MFA-enabled email provider.

Antivirus Software
Another important measure to take is to ensure that all employees have antivirus software installed on their computers. This software will help to protect against malware and other malicious software that can be used to gain access to your email accounts. You should also set up your email server to scan all incoming and outgoing emails for malware.

There are many different antivirus software programs available, so you will need to choose one that is compatible with your email server.

Monitor Email Activity
It is also important to monitor your employees’ email activity. You can do this by setting up alerts for suspicious activity, such as login attempts from unknown IP addresses or devices. Regularly review your employees’ email logs to look for any unusual or unexpected behavior.

If you suspect that an employee’s email account has been compromised, you should change their password and enable MFA. You should also require them to change their password on any other accounts that they use the same password for.

Conclusion
There are many steps that you can take to prevent business email compromise. By training your law firm employees on cybersecurity awareness and enabling MFA, you can make it much more difficult for attackers to gain access to your email accounts. You should ensure that all employees have antivirus software installed on their computers and that you are monitoring email activity for suspicious behavior.

By following these steps, you can help to protect your law firm against email compromise and other cybersecurity threats.