Our Take on the Phishing Scam Hitting Lawyers Across the Country

Lawyers across the country should be on watch – there’s a new, insidious phishing scam purporting to be from the state Attorney General about new disciplinary investigations.

The attack has targeted hundreds of lawyers across multiple states, including Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania,Texas,Maryland, and Florida, amongst others. While the emails differ, the language is similar:

Dear Bar Member: A complaint has been filed against your business. Enclosed is a copy of the complaint which requires your response. You have 10 days to file a rebuttal if you so desire. You may view the complaint at this link: complaint.pdf. Please review the enclosed complaint. If filing a rebuttal, please do so during the specified time frame. Sincerely, The Office of The State Attorney

It is important to note, however, that “The Office of The State Attorney” does not exist.

The email includes a hyperlink to the “complaint” which, when opened, installs malicious software on the user’s computer. According to Francine Walker, the Florida Bar’s director of information, the scammers are becoming increasingly clever – they “dummied up a webpage that looked like our website. It was very sophisticated, except that there were typos and some things not properly described.” Like others, Walker contacted the police immediately.

Attorneys and their employees are being targeted by hackers and criminal organizations at an unprecedented level, and 2017 will be a difficult year for legal practitioners who have fallen behind the technology curve. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in additional cyber security measures including the private cloud, which is a type of cloud computing that delivers scalability and self-service through a propriety architecture dedicated to a single organization. In other words, you know where and who has your data at all times.

As cyberattacks become more frequent it is imperative that your data is protected. A fully managed, 24/7 protected private cloud service is one of the many services that will ensure your data remains safe.

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To learn more about the email scam, please check with your local Bar Association.