What is a SIEM and Why Should Every Law Firm Have One?

All businesses want to keep their files and data safe and secure. For law firms, data security is even more important because of the need to safeguard and maintain client confidentiality and keep their information private. Because lawyers deal with sensitive client data everyday, they are a prime target for cyber criminals.

One way law firms can mitigate against these risks and enhance the security posture of their infrastructure is by implementing a Security Information Event Management System (SIEM). A SIEM is a software application that monitors, collects and analyzes data from your network, firewall, and other systems to identify potential security threats.  In the event of a threat or when abnormal network traffic is detected, the SIEM will alert IT personnel to investigate and take action.

For law firms, SIEM’s can be extremely valuable for a number of reasons.

Strengthening Overall Security Posture

A SIEM can give IT personnel with a comprehensive view of the firm's security situation by analyzing data and information from multiple sources. This can help identify potential vulnerabilities and enable those who are responsible for your network to take steps to address them. A SIEM can also help promote the implementation of security best practices and ensure that firms are up to date with the latest threats and trends.

Quick Threat Response

One of the key features a SIEM provides is alerting IT personnel when there is a potential issue. Alerts can be setup to provide notifications related to specific security events, such as attempted access to sensitive data by unauthorized users. This allows the firm to respond quickly to potential threats, and take the necessary steps to prevent a data breach or other security incident. A SIEM can also help reduce the lead time required to identify and react to an attack and also provide automated tools to prevent attacks that are in progress. 

Third Party Security Compliance

The exponential growth of cybercrime over the past several years has required businesses to place increased emphasis on IT security and adopt new measures to mitigate these risks. As a pre-requisite for doing business, insurance companies, financial institutions, and many other businesses now require their vendors to participate in supplier security programs which are designed to identify potential security risks and evaluate their overall security posture. Implementing a SIEM is now becoming a common requirement for law firms working with large institutional clients as well as smaller corporate clients.

Incident Management and Remediation

In the event of an incident, a SIEM can be very effective in determining its scope, uncovering the route an attack takes across a network, and identifying the data sources that were compromised.  A SIEM can help reduce the lead time required to identify and react to an attack also provide automated tools to prevent attacks that are in progress.  Being able to identify the specific information, files or data that may have been compromised in an incident may result in limiting the scope of reporting and / or  remediation efforts required in the wake of an incident – thus reducing the cost, disruption and potential reputational damage that security incidents often cause.

Despite the many benefits that a SIEM can provide, it is critical to evaluate your firm’s specific needs before implementing one.  Larger firms may require something more advanced than a smaller firm and the implementation of a SIEM will vary depending on whether your firm has a physical server infrastructure at your office or if you are working in the cloud – eg: Microsoft Azure.  These specifics will have an impact on cost and how the system is supported and maintained.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SIEM can be a valuable tool for legal firms looking to safeguard client confidentiality. By collecting and analyzing data from multiple sources, a SIEM system can help firms comply with industry regulations, protect their own data and systems, and improve their overall security posture.

If you are looking for more information or would like to speak to an expert, email us today at info@infoware.ca.

About Infoware

For over 40 years Infoware has been helping law firms and other professional organizations in the Greater Toronto Area work more efficiently. Our cost-effective Managed IT Services and cybersecurity programs are designed to reduce risk and improve productivity for your firm. Contact us for a quick10-15-minute,no-obligation-free chat to see if we can help keep cybersecurity threats at bay and improve your IT operations. 

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