THE LAW UNDER SIEGE CYBER SECURITY IN ARTIFICIAL

THE LAW UNDER SIEGE CYBER SECURITY IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECH TOOLS FOR THE LAWYER SIMBARASHE ABSOLOM MURONDOTI

THIS CAR CAN TEACH US VITAL LESSONS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND THE LAW Mercedes Benz - 1886

PIONEER IN MOTOR VEHICLE HISTORY Travelled at 12 km per hour Invented by Karl Benz

HOW WILL STRONG LEGAL BRANDS STAND THE TEST OF TIME IN THE FUTURE? 1. Understand what it is you are selling and who you are selling to 2. Do not resist the urge to innovate

THE EVOLUTION OF THE LAWYER Age of zero dependency In this age, lawyers had absolutely no dependence on technology The age of compromise In this age, lawyers could get away with ignoring technology. The age of choice In this age, lawyers must make a choice; adapt or die

WHY MUST A LAWYER EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY • Gives you the ability to work efficiently in a speed economy • Allows you to future proof your practice • Enables you to interact on platforms your clients are familiar with • Gives you an understanding of 21 st century risks

WHICH TOOLS ARE IN USE AT THE MOMENT? WHAT ARE THEIR FUNCTIONS?

IN EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY, IT PAYS TO PRIORITIZE CYBER SECURITY a. Security is the most costly risk area – consider the Mossack Fonseca incident - 22% of firms in the US got hacked b. Security shall shape the innovation conversation c. Are the tools we use really secure? d. What is the modern law firm’s security posture?

THE DEVICES WHICH MOST LAWYERS ARE USING FOR THEIR PRACTICE ARE VULNERABLE With modern hacking skills, it takes less than five minutes to successfully breach an android phone. Devices in organizations such as laptops, routers and CCTV devices are all points of vulnerability. The question that remains is ARE YOU SECURE?

HOW TO SECURE YOUR LAW PRACTICE - Your people are your greatest threat point. Often, the people in a law firm pose the greatest threat point. From a security perspective, the employees of an organization and its support staff are the greatest threat points. Often people give away too much information about your organization than they should. There is need to socialize your staff so that they keep sensitive information away from social media.

SOME SHOCKING WEAK POINTS Your employees are key targets for social engineering. Once an attacker has access to your employee, he is a step away from your data.

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION FORMAL OPINION 483 Due to the incidence and growth of cyber security threats, the American Bar Association has issued formal opinion 483 which deals with how lawyers must respond to data breaches. Some of its key highlights are: a. Constantly monitor for data breaches b. Fix any detected data breaches c. Identify compromised files d. Notify affected clients of the breach

IBA CYBERSECURITY GUIDELINES • Keep operating systems up to date • Scan all emails • Use secure internet connections • Enable remote erasure of data • Constantly train your staff on cyber-security

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS YOU CAN START EMPLOYING AT YOUR PRACTICE? Empower employees to maintain best practices Maintain strict password policies Maintain document disposal and retention policies Employ a full or flexi time IT personnel Ensure everyone at your firm follows data protocols Install intrusion detection systems, antivirus software and firewalls

RECOMMENDATIONS • There is a case for local cyber security guidelines for members of the law society. • The guidelines ought to take into account the intricate nature of the cyber security landscape in Southern Africa. • The guidelines ought to pave way for ethical rules, binding on members of the society. • At firm/organization level, employ the strategies identified in the IBA and ABA guidelines.

AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE JCI TOP OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSON 2018 TONY ELUMELU ENTREPRENEUR 2017 ZIMCODD NATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING CHAMPION 2016 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATE ETHICAL HACKER LEGAL PRACTITIONER CO-AUTHOR ZIMBABWE’S COMMENTARY ON CYBER BILL