Law Firm Cyber Security Health Check
Law firms hold the most sensitive information imaginable—and criminals know it.
Your clients trust you with information they wouldn't tell anyone else.
Litigation strategy. Commercial negotiations. Family disputes. Criminal defence matters. The information in your systems is protected by legal professional privilege for good reason—it's extraordinarily sensitive. A data breach doesn't just expose documents; it can destroy privilege, compromise cases, breach confidentiality obligations, and end client relationships built over decades.
Law firms are being held to ransom. Ransomware attacks on legal practices have surged. Criminals know that lawyers will pay to avoid having client matters locked—or worse, leaked. Practices have faced impossible choices: pay the ransom, or watch as privileged client information is published online. The reputational damage alone can be fatal to a firm built on trust and discretion.
Your Law Society and the Privacy Act have real consequences.
Law Societies across Australia have issued guidance making clear that cyber security is now part of competent practice management. The Legal Services Commissioner investigates complaints arising from cyber incidents—findings of unsatisfactory professional conduct can result in suspension or cancellation of your practising certificate. The Privacy Act adds financial penalties up to $50 million for failing to protect personal information. "I didn't know" is not a defence.
Your reputation is your practice.
Clients choose lawyers they trust. A cyber incident that exposes client information—even if you're technically a victim—destroys that trust instantly. Word travels fast in legal circles. Referrers stop referring. Corporate clients find new firms. The practice you've spent years building can unravel in weeks. Can you demonstrate you took reasonable steps to protect client information?
Conveyancing fraud is an additional, specific threat.
Beyond ransomware, criminals actively target law firms involved in property transactions. They compromise email accounts, monitor settlements, then send fraudulent payment instructions with altered bank details. Settlement funds vanish—often hundreds of thousands of dollars. Firms have been held liable. Trust accounts have been decimated. This is a daily threat to any practice handling property matters.
Court portals, practice management, document systems—every entry point is a risk.
Think about what's accessible if an attacker compromises one password: court filings, client communications, financial records, matter files going back years. LEAP, SILQ, Actionstep—whatever system you use—needs proper security controls. When did you last check?
This health check is built specifically for legal practices.
Plain-English questions covering the security risks that matter for law firms: privileged information protection, ransomware defences, conveyancing fraud prevention, court portal security, practice management systems, trust account protection, and email security. No technical jargon—designed so any principal or practice manager can complete it.
What you get:
What You Receive
Every assessment generates a comprehensive report. Download a sample below.
Summary Report
Plain-English findings with scores, prioritised improvement plan, risk associations, and resources
Download SampleComplete it in about 60 minutes. No technical knowledge required. Your data never leaves your device.
Who is this for?
Sole practitioners, small partnerships, and boutique law firms. Principals and practice managers responsible for compliance and risk management. Any legal practice that handles client information and wants to understand their cyber security posture—without needing IT expertise to do it.
Your Assessment Includes a Personal AI Security Advisor
Two AI assistants are built into the tool — one to help you during the assessment, one to help you make sense of your results. Like having a security professional on call.
Not sure what a question is asking? Just ask.
Every question in the assessment has an AI helper built in. Tap it and ask anything — "What does this question actually mean?", "Can you give me an example?", "Why does this matter for my business?" — and you'll get a plain-English explanation instantly.
- ✓ Explains technical concepts in everyday language
- ✓ Gives real-world examples relevant to your industry
- ✓ Never suggests how to answer — just helps you understand
- ✓ No technical background required to complete the assessment
Your Personal Security Advisor — available the moment you see your results.
Once your results are in, an AI security advisor has your full assessment in front of it and is ready to answer any question about what it means — in plain English, as if you're talking to a security professional.
- ✓ "Explain my highest risk gap in simple terms"
- ✓ "Walk me through how to fix action #3"
- ✓ "Which gaps are easiest to fix myself?"
- ✓ Ask anything — your advisor knows your specific results
No consultants. No jargon. No guesswork.
For the first time, small businesses get the same quality of guidance that used to cost hundreds of dollars an hour — built directly into the assessment.
Common Questions
Why are law firms and legal practices targeted by cyber criminals?
Law firms hold privileged communications, sensitive commercial transactions, property conveyancing details, and trust account funds — all in one place. Business email compromise attacks targeting property transactions have resulted in substantial losses when criminals intercept settlement instructions. Trust account fraud, client confidentiality breaches, and ransomware attacks that lock access to client files are all documented threats to Australian legal practices.
What regulatory obligations apply to law firms regarding cyber security?
The Law Society and Legal Services Commissioner in each jurisdiction require solicitors to maintain client confidentiality and take reasonable steps to protect client information. Trust account obligations impose strict controls over client funds. The Privacy Act 1988 applies to practices collecting personal information. PI insurers assess cyber controls, and failing to have adequate protections can affect coverage for cyber-related claims.
What does the Law Firm Health Check cover?
The health check covers practice management system security, email security against business email compromise, trust account protection, client file and document security, remote and mobile access controls, staff access management, conveyancing transaction security, and incident response planning — with questions tailored to the specific risks facing Australian legal practices.
What do I receive after completing the health check?
You receive a professional Word report with prioritised recommendations tailored to law firm risks. The report is suitable for sharing with your firm's principal, IT provider, PI insurer, or Law Society if required as evidence of reasonable steps to protect client information and funds.
Further Reading
Resource
Cyber Security for Law Firms and Legal Practices
Why law firms face trust account fraud and BEC attacks, what the Law Society requires, and the controls that protect client confidentiality and funds.
Read the guide