Financial institutions, healthcare entities, and government agencies might top the list of targets for those who wish to hack into computer systems and steal money, personal data, or other information. But everyone - including those in the legal world - is vulnerable and should implement, and continuously upgrade, cybersecurity defenses.

"Security is no longer somebody else's problem. It's affecting pretty much everybody, regardless of industry," says Adrian Vargas, manager, security & privacy risk consulting at Crowe Horwath in Chicago, who appeared at a CLE program on the subject presented by the ISBA's Insurance Law Section. 

Cyber threats facing attorneys and their clients start at home and can impact any device through such simple methods as phishing e-mails, Vargas says. "All of us who have a laptop, smart phone, or computer at home are susceptible," he says. "We need to be aware of current threats, not only in our professional lives but also in our personal lives. We need to be better about recognizing the threats."

For example, an e-mail that looks or sounds a little strange requires due diligence before you open attachments or links in it, Vargas says. "Were you expecting to receive an e-mail from Amazon about a purchase you made?" he says. "The link might say, 'You can dispute this charge, or this shipment,' and then you click on it and it sends you to some malicious website where it compromises your computer." Find out more in the February Illinois Bar Journal.