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In our previous post, we examined why UK law firms are prime targets for cybercriminals. In this second blog of our three-part series, we explore the next evolution: how AI cyber security for law firms presents both an urgent threat and a powerful defence.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines, most notably through technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and large language models (LLMs). In the legal sector, AI is driving digital transformation by enabling faster contract analysis, automated document generation, legal research acceleration, and even client communication support.
As UK law firms increasingly integrate AI into their daily operations, they’re unlocking new efficiencies, but also expanding their digital footprint. This evolution presents a double-edged sword. While forward-thinking firms are using AI to streamline workflows and enhance productivity, cybercriminals are leveraging the same technology to launch faster, more tailored, and more deceptive attacks.
For an industry built on confidentiality, client trust, and strict regulatory standards, understanding AI’s dual role, as both an enabler and a threat, is no longer optional. It’s essential.
AI as a Weapon: The Rise of Intelligent Cyber Threats.
Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the speed, precision, and scale of their attacks. This trend poses significant risks for law firms, which handle highly sensitive and commercially valuable data.
1. AI-Generated Phishing and Social Engineering.
Artificial intelligence has significantly advanced the speed, scale, and sophistication of phishing campaigns, posing a growing threat to UK law firms. Cybercriminals are now using generative AI to analyse publicly available information such as LinkedIn profiles, case studies, and firm websites, enabling them to craft highly convincing and contextually accurate emails. These messages often replicate the tone and formatting of legitimate legal communications, making them much harder for recipients and traditional email filters to detect.
Recent data from KnowBe4’s 2025 Phishing Threat Trend Report further underscores the escalating risk landscape. The report highlights a 17.3% rise in phishing email volume over a six-month period, with 82.6% of all phishing emails exhibiting some use of AI, a significant signal that attackers are rapidly adopting generative tools. Particularly alarming is the rise of polymorphic phishing campaigns, now seen in over 76% of all phishing activity. These campaigns use AI to continuously generate slight variations in messages, helping them evade traditional security filters.
Ransomware payloads have surged by 22.6%, while phishing hyperlinks, malware, and social engineering components are increasingly slipping past secure email gateways (SEGs). Notably, 57.9% of phishing attacks are now being delivered from compromised legitimate accounts, amplifying their credibility and success rates. The report also draws attention to a growing tactic: the infiltration of hiring processes, with 64% of phishing lures targeting engineering roles. These findings reflect a stark reality for UK law firms, phishing attacks are not only more frequent but more intelligent, more targeted, and increasingly difficult to detect without advanced, adaptive defences.
2. Deepfakes and Voice Cloning.
The rise of AI-driven deepfakes and voice cloning presents a significant threat to law firms, where trust and confidentiality are paramount. Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging these technologies to create convincing audio and video impersonations of partners, clients, or regulators, deceiving employees into disclosing sensitive information or authorizing fraudulent transactions.
Notably, an employee at the Hong Kong branch of engineering firm Arup was duped into transferring £20 million after participating in a video call featuring deepfake representations of the company’s CFO and other executives. This incident underscores the sophistication of such scams and their potential financial impact.
To better understand and mitigate these risks, Secon Cyber has produced an informative video titled “What Are Deepfakes? How to Spot and Protect Yourself”. This resource offers practical guidance on identifying deepfake content and implementing protective measures.
The legal sector is particularly vulnerable, given its reliance on remote communications and the high value of the information handled. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued warnings about the risks associated with using video calls for client identification, highlighting the potential for deepfake exploitation.
As deepfake technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, it is imperative for law firms to adopt robust verification protocols, provide staff training on recognizing such threats, and implement advanced cybersecurity measures to safeguard against these evolving scams.
3. Self-Evolving Malware and Ransomware.
The legal sector is facing an increasingly advanced class of cyber threats, led by adaptive malware and AI-driven ransomware. Unlike traditional malware, which is built on static code and can often be flagged by signature-based detection, adaptive malware uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to continuously mutate its behaviour and structure. This allows it to bypass conventional security systems by dynamically adjusting to different environments in real time.
Ransomware attacks have also become markedly more strategic. AI-enhanced ransomware can now autonomously locate and encrypt the most sensitive, business-critical data within a law firm’s network, maximising operational disruption and ransom leverage. These attacks are no longer blunt-force intrusions; they are tailored, stealthy, and devastatingly effective, often combining data exfiltration with encryption in double-extortion campaigns.
This escalation is well-documented. According to Comparitech global analysis, at least 138 publicly confirmed ransomware attacks have been recorded against law firms between 2018 and June 2024, affecting more than 2.9 million records. The year 2023 marked a grim record, with 45 attacks impacting over 1.56 million records, a 615% increase on the previous year. The data reflects not only a surge in volume but also a rise in the tactical sophistication of these incidents.
In some cases, the consequences have been catastrophic. A high-profile example is The Ince Group, a London-based law firm that suffered a LockBit ransomware attack in March 2022. The firm reportedly spent £5 million recovering from the breach. This underscores a harsh reality: ransomware is no longer just a security issue, it is a business continuity and existential threat, even for well-established firms.
To explore practical strategies for securing sensitive client data, read our Data Security guide.
AI in Legal Work: New Tools, New Attack Surfaces.
As attackers continue to weaponise AI, law firms must also recognise how their own adoption of AI tools, while transformative, introduces new security challenges that demand equal attention.
How Lawyers Are Using AI.
From document drafting and case summarisation to legal research and due diligence, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are being widely adopted. Lawyers are now using AI to:
- Speed up document review
- Draft contracts and client communications
- Translate legalese into plain English
- Conduct early-stage case analysis
Why This Opens the Door to Risk?
These tools, while beneficial, often operate as black boxes. Data entered may be processed offsite, stored without knowledge, or even used to train future models. Key risks include:
- Inadvertent disclosure of client data into public AI models
- Prompt injection attacks where LLMs are manipulated to leak information
- Auto-completion risks, where previous client data resurfaces in new sessions
- Lack of browser-level control, making monitoring difficult
What Leading Law Firms Are Doing.
Firms staying ahead of the curve are:
- Using browser-native data loss prevention (DLP) tools like LayerX to monitor GenAI usage
- Creating internal policies on what tools can be used and what data must remain off-limits
- Training legal professionals on the risks and ethical use of LLMs
- Auditing AI usage logs as part of their compliance frameworks
AI Cyber Security for Law Firms: Building Proactive Defences.
Artificial intelligence is not only a threat vector, it’s a powerful defensive asset. As attackers scale their operations with AI-enhanced tools, law firms must respond with smarter, more adaptive security strategies that match the speed and complexity of modern threats.
Gain Visibility of Your Environment.
The cornerstone of AI cyber security for law firms is visibility. Without knowing what assets exist across your network—from servers and endpoints to mobile devices and cloud applications, you can’t protect what matters. Tools like RunZero (previously Rumble) are helping firms build this foundational visibility. By continuously discovering and profiling every connected asset, firms can uncover shadow IT, identify outdated systems, and ensure security controls are applied consistently across their digital environment. For a sector where data privacy and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable, this level of awareness is critical.
Once you know what needs protecting, the next priority is understanding how it’s being used. AI-powered monitoring tools are now capable of detecting subtle behavioural anomalies, such as an associate accessing files outside of normal hours or a sudden spike in file downloads from a partner’s account. These indicators, when surfaced early, can prevent breaches before they escalate. In high-pressure environments like law firms, where teams are working across time zones and sensitive data flows between clients, courts, and regulators, intelligent monitoring offers the responsiveness traditional tools simply can’t match.
Safe Use of Generative AI Tools.
One of the most pressing security challenges today is the safe use of generative AI tools. From legal research to contract drafting, AI models like ChatGPT, Copilot, and sector-specific legal AI platforms are becoming embedded in daily workflows. But every prompt entered into an AI tool is a potential data leak, especially if there are no guardrails in place. That’s why browser-level protections have become a vital layer of defence.
A standout example of this approach comes from Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG). The US-based law firm turned to LayerX to help secure its browser environments while still enabling its lawyers to leverage generative AI tools for efficiency. By applying data loss prevention (DLP) policies directly in the browser, AGG was able to monitor and restrict sensitive data from being shared, without having to block access to AI tools altogether. As Daniel Lehman, the firm’s Director of Technology, explained, “LayerX is a comprehensive security solution, which not only does not prevent, but actually extends, what employees can do online.For a law firm, this is a significant competitive advantage.” Read the full case study here.
This combination of precision and flexibility is a model for how law firms should be approaching AI security. Instead of resorting to outright bans or blanket controls, leading firms are balancing enablement with enforcement, ensuring their professionals can innovate without putting client data at risk.
Keeping Communication Secure.
Equally important is securing the communication layer. With email still the most common attack vector, law firms are leveraging AI to bolster defences against phishing and business email compromise (BEC). AI models trained on language patterns, sender behaviour, and domain metadata are now capable of flagging highly targeted attacks that would otherwise evade detection. This is especially vital in legal settings where emails frequently carry contracts, court filings, and confidential communications materials that cannot be compromised.
Managing Human Risk.
Finally, no AI cyber security strategy is complete without people. Even the smartest tools can’t protect a firm if its people aren’t aware of evolving risks. AI-enhanced security awareness platforms are now delivering adaptive, personalised training that reflects each individual’s role, behaviour, and threat exposure. In the legal sector, where every person from paralegals to partners handles sensitive material, this human layer of defence is non-negotiable.
Bird & Bird’s Success with Hoxhunt.
Bird & Bird, a leading international law firm, has significantly strengthened its human-layer security by partnering with Hoxhunt. As client scrutiny around cyber-risk intensifies, especially from heavily regulated sectors like finance, Bird & Bird recognised the need for a more intelligent and engaging approach to security awareness. Hoxhunt’s Human Risk Management Platform, powered by AI, customises phishing simulations and micro-trainings based on employee behaviour and threat intelligence. This adaptive, gamified model continuously evolves to reflect the real-world tactics attackers use, making each simulation more relevant and effective.
In just a few months, the firm saw a 14-fold increase in real threat detection, with reports of suspicious emails jumping from 60 to 900 per month. It also achieved an 80% reduction in failure rate and a 613% boost in resilience. The impact wasn’t just statistical, employees actively enjoyed the simulations, with many expressing how the training made them more confident and alert. As Martyn Styles, Head of Information Security at Bird & Bird, put it: “For us, the fact that people still say, ‘I love Hoxhunt phishing simulations!’ is the best statistic of all.” AI was central to making that experience personalised, timely, and scalable across the entire workforce.
AI Cyber Security for Law Firms: An Integrated Approach.
Ultimately, AI cyber security for law firms is not about any single product, it’s about an integrated approach. Secon’s work across this ecosystem enables law firms to take full advantage of AI as both a shield and a differentiator. From real-time monitoring and data protection to email filtering and human risk training, these technologies provide the intelligence, speed, and precision needed to defend against the threats of today, and those just over the horizon.
Future-Proofing Legal Practice in an AI Age.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept, it’s reshaping today’s legal landscape in real time. But while AI brings innovation and efficiency, it also introduces new and evolving cyber risks. For UK law firms, AI cyber security is no longer optional. It’s a fundamental business function, essential to protecting client trust, safeguarding sensitive information, and ensuring long-term viability.
In the final instalment of our blog series, we’ll turn our focus to action. You’ll discover a practical roadmap for building long-term cyber resilience, covering incident response, third-party risk, and governance frameworks designed for legal teams operating in an increasingly digital world.