Many of the common challenges for law firms in 2023 remain similar to those seen in previous years, but two key areas of potential risk—cybercrime and money laundering—are becoming increasingly more significant as we look to the months ahead.
Eyes on cyber
No firm is too small to be targeted: the client data we hold is valuable, and there is an increased risk of ransomware attacks since the invasion of Ukraine. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported a reduction in client losses from cybercrime at the COLP & COFA conference in November 2022, but that is not a reason for complacency. Numbers of attacks have increased in the business world generally, and Miller Insurance noted in their Review of the 1 October Renewal Season that there has been a number of payment diversion fraud and invoice manipulation losses. Meanwhile Howden Insurance Brokers’ Solicitors’ Market Report (January 2023) noted that insurers were
