The Law Society Gazette reports that partners from 40 top firms were given a briefing last month on the threat by officials from the government’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and the intelligence and communications security agency GCHQ.

Data theft

Estimates from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills have suggested that around 90 per cent of large businesses and 75 per cent of smaller ones have come under some kind of attack, be it data theft, commercial espionage or a general disruption of IT systems.
Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said that the biggest threat was to firms involved in international markets or ‘significant’ intellectual property issues.
Mr Hudson also called for a ‘common endeavour’ against the threat, while revealing the Society is establishing a cyber security ‘community of interest’ where firms can discuss best practice.