By Jim Calloway

Cynics would say there are two types of businesses:

1. Those who have suffered a significant cyber attack, with the potential to substantially impair business operations.
2. Those who haven’t yet had to deal with one yet.

Lawyers need to have a basic understanding of online threats and precautions for two reasons.

1. They do not want their law businesses crippled by a cyber attack, potentially taking weeks to recover.
2. When a client’s operations are crippled by a cyber attack, among the first few outreaches the client makes will be to his or her lawyers. Do you know how to advise them or at least where to direct them?

Game Freak, which has made Pokemon video games for decades, confirmed they suffered a security breach. But they shared nothing about their response, leading to speculation they refused to discuss any ransom demands. Kavi Sivasothy, of the respected international law firm Gowling WLG, has written You don’t negotiate with Team Rocket: How Game Freak may have responded to a cyber attack. Why am I encouraging you to read this short piece? Because it concisely details what steps you should take now if you either believe you will refuse to pay criminals a ransom on principle or think the ransom demand will be unaffordable if it happens to you.