One of the biggest consequences of success is the target that magically appears on your back. Running a firm involves more than delivering legal results for your clients — you also have to protect whatever vital information that falls in your lap in the process of advocating for them. Like most troves of protected personal information, law firms have been subject to targeting by hackers, domestic and elsewhere. Williams & Connolly, a firm that raked in ~$665M in gross revenue 2024, was the most recent hit in a chain of information-grabbing hacks. CNN has coverage:
Suspected Chinese government-backed hackers have breached computer systems of US law firm Williams & Connolly, which has represented some of America’s most powerful politicians, as part of a larger spying campaign against multiple law firms, according to a letter the firm sent clients and a source familiar with the hack.
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Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the embassy, told CNN in response to a separate hacking allegation last month: “China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks and cybercrime.”
Williams & Connolly has since stated publicly that the threat actor has been blocked and that there is “no evidence of any unauthorized traffic on our network.” A quick response and transparency are to be expected from the firm, along with a boost in their security measures. That said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re in a position of authority at a firm and know that your security protocols are lagging behind, take this as the push to be proactive before you’re scrambling to re-secure everything.
US Law Firm With Major Political Clients Hacked In Spying Spree Linked To China [CNN]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
The post Williams & Connolly Hit By Foreign Hackers appeared first on Above the Law.
One of the biggest consequences of success is the target that magically appears on your back. Running a firm involves more than delivering legal results for your clients — you also have to protect whatever vital information that falls in your lap in the process of advocating for them. Like most troves of protected personal information, law firms have been subject to targeting by hackers, domestic and elsewhere. Williams & Connolly, a firm that raked in ~$665M in gross revenue 2024, was the most recent hit in a chain of information-grabbing hacks. CNN has coverage:
Suspected Chinese government-backed hackers have breached computer systems of US law firm Williams & Connolly, which has represented some of America’s most powerful politicians, as part of a larger spying campaign against multiple law firms, according to a letter the firm sent clients and a source familiar with the hack.
…
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the embassy, told CNN in response to a separate hacking allegation last month: “China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks and cybercrime.”
Williams & Connolly has since stated publicly that the threat actor has been blocked and that there is “no evidence of any unauthorized traffic on our network.” A quick response and transparency are to be expected from the firm, along with a boost in their security measures. That said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re in a position of authority at a firm and know that your security protocols are lagging behind, take this as the push to be proactive before you’re scrambling to re-secure everything.
US Law Firm With Major Political Clients Hacked In Spying Spree Linked To China [CNN]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
The post Williams & Connolly Hit By Foreign Hackers appeared first on Above the Law.
