As digitization persists each year, businesses face unprecedented cybersecurity challenges. The legal sector in particular has become a prime target for opportunistic cybercriminals seeking to exploit sensitive information that they hold on file, ranging from high-net-worth client addresses and financial details to property exchanges and money transfers, to name just a few.
For better or worse, this data now typically resides in digital cloud storage systems and on-premise servers, as more firms embrace going paperless.
As such, robust digital security measures have evolved into a must-have for any legal firm, regardless of their size, sector(s) of operation, and client base. Even those firms that believe they have nothing of value to offer malicious, exploitative actors means companies cannot afford to overlook proper safeguarding of their digital assets.
SSL / TLS certificates stand as one of the most essential forms of online protection that legal firms must adopt, acting as a fundamental layer of security that forms the backbone of online communications, transactions and exchanges between practices and clients. Let’s take a moment to explore why SSL certificates and broader PKI infrastructure solutions remain critical for law firms navigating the complex digital terrain of today.
Cybersecurity Challenges Facing Law Firms
Law firms hold a plethora of confidential information on file, ranging from corporate intellectual property (corporate lawyers) to personal probate and will asset details (family lawyers) and identifiable details of home addresses (property lawyers), and everything in between. With so much information so concentrated on law firms’ on-site and cloud infrastructure, they are particularly susceptible to cyber-attacks.
According to recent data, cyber-attacks on law firms rose by 74% in 2024 to 954, with an average data breach costing an organization $4.88 million. Such breaches don’t just cause - often irreparable - financial harm, but can also damage a firm’s reputation and client trust, which is the exact thing that legal firms want to preserve and maintain.
As law firms continue to embrace digital transformation with appropriate legislation in place, whether through e-filing systems, disclosure of specific information on company websites, cloud native infrastructure, or automated workflows - they must carefully balance security risks and protective measures with convenience and accessibility. Every piece of information shared or divulged online represents a potential entry point or vulnerability if not properly safeguarded.
How SSL / TLS Certificates Protect Law Firms
When prospects and existing clients share information through a law firm’s website contact form, communication portals, or email systems, stable SSL / TLS encryption ensures that any data remains secure from interception. Without a solid SSL / TLS certificate in place, such communications could be vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, where malicious actors intercept data in transit.
Traditionally, a padlock icon, signifying a secure HTTPS connection was used to represent that the site was protected. This was officially retired and replaced with a "tune" icon in Chrome 117, which launched in early September 2023. Visitors can use this icon to confirm if a certificate is in place and valid. This signals to prospects and clients that your legal practice takes security seriously, which further helps to foster trust and faith (something which the legal industry itself is built upon).
Law firms - whatever their area(s) of expertise - have a moral and legal duty to protect client confidentiality and preserve information integrity. Bar associations across the world recognize that this obligation also includes digital communications, and SSL / TLS certificates help such firms meet this criteria by encrypting client data communications between the user and the server.
Beyond encryption, SSL / TLS certificates also confirm the secure transfer of data between the client and user servers. This ensures that malicious actors cannot forge or alter communications or inject malware into the HTTP request, which is vital when dealing with legal documents, the secure transfer of funds, and administering instructions.
Furthermore, Google and other search engines use SSL / TLS and HTTPS as ranking factors. In fact, Google now alerts users when a site no longer possesses a valid SSL / TLS certificate, which can increase bounce rates and prevent vital click-throughs and web traffic onto a law firm’s website. As this sector is competitive, law firms should enable SSL / TLS at a top level to ensure that they are not missing out on valuable business.
Implementing SSL / TLS in Your Law Practice
For law firms implementing or upgrading their SSL / TLS security certificate, ensure the below steps are followed:
- Identify all assets, websites, subdomains, portals and other properties requiring protection.
- Determine the right level of SSL protection needed, whether standard, multi-domain, and whether any other PKI infrastructure is necessary.
- Choose the right validation level (Domain Validated, Organization Validated, or Extended Validated) depending on your requirements.
- If not automating, implement processes for monitoring certificate expiration dates and managing renewals.
- Establish procedures for responding to security vulnerabilities that may slip through the cracks.
- Train staff on proper security hygiene and how to recognize types of cyber threats.
While implementing comprehensive SSL/TLS security does require upfront investment, the cost of a data breach due to inadequate security hygiene is far higher.
Law firms exposed to data breaches could face hefty regulatory fines for failing to uphold proper data protection practices. Furthermore, they could be subject to potential malpractice claims from affected clients, sanctions, investigations, and remediation costs, not to mention reputational damage and extended business disruption as a cyber incident persists.
Advanced PKI Solutions for Law Firms
While SSL / TLS certificates provide valuable website security, law firms should seriously consider a broader Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) approach that addresses specific facets of their operations. This could be incredibly useful as they scale and embrace digitization in the months and years to come.
Suggestions include (but are not limited to):
- Document Signing Certificates: These allow lawyers to apply legally binding electronic signatures (e-signatures) to documents, ensuring the signatory’s identity is verified and authenticated, and timestamped so proof of signing has been confirmed. With the right solution, documents can’t be altered without detection or real-time alerts, ensuring highly sensitive digitized documents can be admissible in court and move through various digital channels legally and ethically.
- S/MIME Email Certificates: Personal client-lawyer communications can involve the divulging of sensitive data and information. S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) certificates enable lawyers to digitally sign emails, encrypt attachments, maintain confidentiality in communications, and create a secure audit trail. Emails compliant with S/MIME means that this primary communication channel reduces the likelihood of sophisticated phishing, social engineering, and business email compromise (BEC) cyber-attacks.
- Multi-domain Certificates: Larger legal firms often manage and maintain multiple websites, subdomains and digital properties. These certificates ensure efficient and compliant management by securing multiple domains and sub-domains under a single certificate, simplifying the certificate management and renewal process, reducing administrative headaches, patching potential security gaps and protecting infrastructure across all digital properties.
In an industry built on confidentiality, transparency, and trust, investing in preventative measures like SSL / TLS certificates is a far better use of funds than dealing with the financial and reputational fallout of a costly and damaging cyber incident. Managing these and other PKI certificates suggests to a law firm’s clientele that they’re committed to these qualities while protecting themselves from a broadening range of sophisticated and complex cyber threats.
GlobalSign’s trusted certificate management solutions offer law firms the security, reliability and flexibility they need to protect their digital assets and fulfill their obligations to their clients in an increasingly challenging cyber threat landscape.
Secure your confidential information today and speak to our team
Note: This blog article was written by a guest contributor for the purpose of offering a wider variety of content for our readers. The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of GlobalSign.
