By Juliana Rubinia, Senior Manager at LexisNexis UK
As the use of generative AI expands rapidly in legal practices, cyber risks are evolving at an even faster pace. New LexisNexis research of more than 700 legal professionals in the UK reveals that many legal teams are not adequately prepared for the growing digital threats. Some 43% of respondents ranked cybersecurity as one of their top three challenges for the coming year.
The most threatening attacks for law firms are phishing and social engineering, followed by AI-generated attacks such as Deepfakes and phishing emails, a concern for 24% of respondents.
One partner in a small office warns: "Our cybersecurity practices are not keeping up with the growth of AI, and if we don't catch up, we will regress and disappear."
Cyber breaches are no longer just a technical failure, but a ticking time bomb that affects reputation and trust. Four out of five lawyers fear a breach of client confidentiality, rising to 100% for general counsel.
Although more than half of lawyers now use multi-factor authentication (MFA), this is no longer enough in the face of new threats posed by AI, such as model manipulation or data leakage.
The report indicates that 61% of lawyers are using AI in their work, with 32% planning to start soon, but 77% are concerned about inaccurate information and 47% about the potential for data leakage from platforms. Despite these risks, less than 30% of legal organizations have a clear policy on the use of AI.
There is also the issue of trust in third parties, as most offices rely on external systems with little understanding of the risks, even though AI-based cloud services are a major vulnerability.
LexisNexis recommends that legal organizations choose technology partners with deep legal expertise and stringent security measures, emphasizing that investing in trust and security is no longer an option, but a strategic necessity.
The report's key message: AI has changed the cyber threat landscape, and the offices that will stay ahead are those that move quickly, fortify their technology infrastructure, and train their employees to use AI responsibly.
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