Survey: More Than One-Third of Canadian Lawyers Plan to Boost Cybersecurity Spending in Next 12 Months; Budgets to Increase 25 Per Cent on Average

TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - As the volume and magnitude of data breaches grow, legal organizations are investing greater resources to protect against cyber risks and bolster data security practices. More than one-third (35 per cent) of Canadian lawyers recently interviewed by Robert Half Legal said their law firm or company plans to spend more on cybersecurity-related tools and services in the next 12 months. On average, lawyers expect to increase budgets by 25 per cent.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a legal staffing and consulting solutions firm specializing in lawyers, law-clerks and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 150 telephone interviews of lawyers with law firms and companies in Canada.

Lawyers were asked, "Does your law firm or company plan to increase or decrease its budget on cybersecurity-related tools and services in the next 12 months?" Their responses:*

Increase significantly	6%
Increase somewhat	29%
Neither increase no decrease	53%
Decrease somewhat	1%
Decrease significantly	0%
Don't know/no answer	10%
	99%

*Total does not equal 100 per cent due to rounding.

"As evidenced by recent news headlines, data security breaches are becoming more frequent and sophisticated," said Jamy Sullivan, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Law firms, in particular, are targets for cyber criminals due to the high volume of sensitive information they maintain, so they are investing significant resources to develop robust defences."

Sullivan added that while implementing the latest cybersecurity tools is an important measure for safeguarding corporate data, legal teams need to work closely with their IT counterparts to identify vulnerabilities and establish data security policies. "Firms also should consider hiring subject matter experts to help them navigate the complexity and challenges of cyberthreats and regulatory changes to minimize risk to the organization," she said.

For more information on how recent cybersecurity developments are affecting legal teams, sign up for a complimentary one-hour webinar hosted by Robert Half Legal and Thomson Reuters West LegalEdcenter on October 23, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Register for the program here: http://westlegaledcenter.com/program_guide/course_detail.jsf?courseId=100180382.

About Robert Half Legal
Robert Half Legal is the premier provider of legal staffing and consulting solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments. With North American and global locations, Robert Half Legal provides a customized approach, including managed review, legal project management and eDiscovery services, to help organizations handle constantly changing workloads. The company offers in-demand expertise across practice areas as well as highly skilled legal professionals on a temporary, project and full-time basis. More information about our full suite of legal staffing and consulting solutions can be found roberthalf.ca/legal. Follow @RobertHalf_CAN and visit blog.roberthalf.ca for workplace news, trends and advice.

SOURCE Robert Half Legal

Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected]