For many years, Sharon Nelson and John Simek have hosted the Digital Detectives podcast to bring practical advice and much needed guidance to help attorneys protect their law firms. In this, their final episode, they finish off with yet another round of current stats on cybersecurity issues and the measures to take to ensure your data’s safety. Sharon and John’s good friend David Ries joins them for this last conversation, where they explain the latest threats and give advice for improving...

A strong foundation for your law firm should be built on sensible cybersecurity policies and procedures. What should that look like? Sharon Nelson and John Simek have a conversation with Mike Maschke about best practices for establishing effective security for your business. Mike walks listeners through a variety of security considerations to be aware of and explains staff training needs, Zero Trust Architecture, keeping software current, encryption protocols, and much more.  Mike Maschke is...

Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, no firm is too small to be a target for hackers. Each and every one—from large firms all the way down to solo attorneys—is susceptible to cybersecurity incidents. So, how do you avoid becoming a statistic? Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Mark Bassingthwaighte about the bad tech habits of law firms that lead to breaches and what to do to fix your security vulnerabilities.  Check out these resources from today’s conversation:  Social...

AI is capable of doing so many things in the legal tech world, not least of which are its uses in digital forensics. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Shashi Angadi to discuss AI’s current applications in cybersecurity—including threat detection, analysis, evidence gathering, and more. Shashi offers real-world examples of AI at work and shares his thoughts on what we might expect in the future of generative AI technologies.  Shashi Angadi is CTO at Exterro and one of its original co-founders.

We all know generative AI is making significant waves all over the world, but lawyers need to take a hard look at its implications in the law and their own legal practice. John Simek and Sharon Nelson welcome Doug Austin to discuss AI technologies and their impacts on attorneys. They cover notable legal cases, new ABA resolutions, the latest AI trends in legal practice, and much more.  Doug Austin is an established eDiscovery thought leader with over 30 years of experience providing...

Employees within your organization are likely a bigger risk to your cybersecurity than threat actors from without. Why? Because it very often takes an insider to let in an outsider. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Mike Barnsback about prevention strategies for both internal and external threats. Mike explains common tactics employed by cyber attackers and how the right policies and training can protect your firm from a breach.  Mike Barnsback is managing partner of O’Hagan Meyer in...

BakerHostetler’s latest data security report is here, and while the threat landscape is proving to be as consistent as ever, companies have been doing a better job at identifying and containing breaches more quickly. Sharon Nelson and John Simek dig into the details of the report with Joe Bruemmer, helping listeners understand current data breach trends and how to best protect against attacks. For more on BakerHostetler’s 2023 Data Security Incident Response Report check out the key...

The world’s ever-growing tsunami of digital data creates a huge need for technology capable of filtering it for modern e-discovery processes. So, what’s the best tool for the job? Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Andy Wilson about why AI is perfectly equipped to deal with massive data sets, saving people the time (and tedium) historically associated with discovery. Andy discusses current uses of AI in e-discovery and goes on to explain its applications in redactions, legal holds, audio...

AI is already changing the legal profession, and law schools have a responsibility to stay on the cutting edge of this technology to equip future lawyers with all they need to know about its impacts and uses. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Dean Andy Perlman about the current landscape of AI in legal practice and education. They discuss ChatGPT’s debut, shaping ethical and socially responsible uses of AI, the importance of embracing AI in legal education, and much more. Andrew Perlman...

Cyber attacks are almost entirely responsible for today’s data breaches, and, increasingly often, the details of these breaches are vague—leaving security experts with a growing list of questions. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with James Lee about the Identity Theft Resource Center’s latest Data Breach Report. They discuss current trends, the challenges of nebulous data breach notices, and what all organizations should be on the lookout for in the coming year. James E. Lee is Chief...

There’s no “set it and forget it” for your law firm’s cybersecurity. Effective security is a continuing process, and the start of a new year is a great time to see how your firm is doing. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with David Ries about how to give your firm a cybersecurity checkup. They outline what lawyers need to include in their assessment and where to find reliable information on the latest security tools, training, resources, and statistics.  David G. Ries is Of Counsel in the...

Cyber criminals aren’t taking time off for the holidays. In fact, Sharon and John had a surprise Thanksgiving morning when they learned that hackers had attacked their own company over 400 times throughout the night. Thankfully, their security wasn’t breached, but this experience highlighted for them once again the increased risk we all face as the holiday season approaches. To keep you from getting the gift of ransomware for Christmas, Sharon and John give a comprehensive overview of ways to...

Communicating with clients is essential to good lawyering, but doing so without proper precautions could set you up for trouble. Sharon Nelson and John Simek discuss the ethics of lawyer communications with Daniel Siegel, an attorney and current chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility. They talk through the new guidance issued by this committee and best practices for secure communications through email, smartphones, and more.

Rapid changes in cybercrime and the security that keeps it at bay have left many lawyers’ heads spinning. With so much continuous change, how do you keep up with ethical cybersecurity needs for your firm? To help lawyers understand current best practices, Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk through the must-have measures legal ethicists deem essential for all law firms and offer tips for finding cyber-insurance at an affordable price.

ILTACON’s peer-driven approach strives to provide a unique experience for the legal industry with its heavy focus on education and attendee involvement. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Doug Austin to debrief on ILTACON 2022. They cover highlights, lowlights, and how the conference stacks up against other legal tech events. Doug Austin is an established eDiscovery thought leader with over 30 years of experience providing eDiscovery best practices, legal technology consulting, and...

In the midst of Alex Jones’ defamation trial, the whole world found out that an almost unthinkable blunder had been committed by his attorneys, resulting in an inadvertent waiver of privilege that majorly impacted his case. How did this happen? What do legal professionals need to learn from this high-profile gaffe? Digital Detectives hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Craig Ball to talk listeners through events in the Jones trial, the actions of the lawyers involved and Texas’ unique...

Studies show that over 70% of people haven’t the foggiest idea who to call first when they discover a data breach. If you’ve just realized you’re one of them, tune in! John Simek and Sharon Nelson talk with cybersecurity lawyer Beth Waller about what lawyers need to know about data breach response and how to have a proactive, compliant cybersecurity plan. Beth Waller is chair of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice at Woods Rogers.

Unfortunately, data breaches are becoming a ‘when’, not ‘if’, scenario, but a proactive data protection strategy will definitely help! Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Peter Baumann about what businesses should do to get ahead of threat actors and develop effective responses to breaches. They discuss the risk distinctions between structured and unstructured data, talk about lawyer-specific data considerations, and explain how to assess your security needs and get the right tools for the...

Avoiding a data breach should be amongst your top priorities, and understanding threats and causes helps you improve your preventative measures. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome back Craig Hoffman to unpack the findings of BakerHostetler’s 2022 DSIR Report. They outline the security mishaps that just won’t go away; talk about ransomware and companies’ interactions with “reliable” vs. “unreliable” threat actors; discuss the enhancement of security through training, training, training; and...

The online space for Russia’s civil society has been slowly closing for nearly a decade, but after the invasion in Ukraine, governmental powers quickly seized control of internet freedoms—banning and blocking at will. What does this mean for the flow of information and the future of the internet both in Russia and internationally? Digital Detectives hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Eva Galperin to discuss perspectives on the effects of censorship, Russia’s ways and means of...

Lawyers need to stay up on cybersecurity news to understand both the current threats and the mistakes made by others. Failure to keep up could eventually result in a breach! Sharon Nelson and John Simek discuss this topic with Lucien Pera to learn more about lawyers’ ethical responsibilities for technology and cybersecurity competence and why failures could result in a lawyer facing disciplinary action.  Lucian T. Pera is a partner at Adams and Reese LLP in Memphis, Tennessee, where he...

The overall number of data compromises is up 68% over 2020. Now, more than ever, attorneys must take action to protect themselves and their law firms. John Simek and Sharon Nelson welcome James E. Lee of the Identity Theft Resource Center to discuss the findings of his organization’s 2021 Data Breach Report. James discusses common root causes of data breaches and explains how prevention tactics and data security services can help lawyers avoid and/or deal with a data compromise.  James E. Lee...

Cybersecurity keeps changing at an ever-quickening pace, and, really, it’s probably going to stay that way. Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome friend and cybersecurity expert David G. Ries to discuss some of the major happenings of the past year and what we should expect for 2022. David gives an overview of current cyber-threats and notable data breaches, discusses government efforts to fight cybercrime, and lays out the latest best practices to help you protect your business.  David G....

Our government has been earnestly campaigning against ransomware and cybercriminals — seizing cryptocurrency, offering bounties, and issuing frequent alerts. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Ariel Parnes about the tactics involved in this war on ransomware, implications for lawyers, the importance of constant vigilance during the holidays, and who to call if you’re the victim of an attack.  Ariel Parnes is co-founder and chief operating officer at Mitiga, a cloud incident readiness and...