For Australian law firms, cyber risk in 2026 is no longer confined to traditional “IT systems”. The most significant vulnerabilities now sit inside everyday legal workflows — the tools and processes lawyers rely on from first client contact through to discovery, settlement, and archiving.
For Managing Partners, General Managers, and Operations Leaders, understanding where these vulnerabilities exist — and how to address them pragmatically — is critical to safeguarding client trust, firm reputation, and operational continuity.
This article highlights the most exposed points across the legal lifecycle and outlines practical steps firms can take to reduce risk without disrupting productivity.
Despite years of awareness, email remains the most common entry point for breaches in legal practices.
AI-generated phishing emails now mimic real clients, matters, and writing styles
Partner and staff impersonation is increasingly common during settlements
Attackers exploit urgency, authority, and time pressure — all common in legal work
Over-reliance on basic spam filtering
Weak or inconsistent multi-factor authentication
Lack of domain protection (e.g. DMARC)
Staff unsure how to verify suspicious instructions
Deploy advanced email threat protection with impersonation detection
Enforce phishing-resistant MFA across all email access
Implement DMARC to prevent spoofing of your firm’s domain
Train staff on “high-risk moments” (e.g. payment instructions, last-minute changes)
Executive takeaway:
Email security is not just an IT issue — it’s a business-critical control point.
Law firms exchange enormous volumes of sensitive material with clients, barristers, experts, and courts. Each transfer introduces risk.
Sending confidential documents as email attachments
Using unsecured or consumer file-sharing tools
No visibility over who accessed documents and when
Links that never expire or can be forwarded freely
One mis-sent attachment or exposed link can compromise an entire matter — often without malicious intent.
Use secure, encrypted document portals rather than email
Apply access controls and expiry dates to shared files
Enable audit logs to track access
Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to reduce accidental disclosure
Executive takeaway:
Secure document handling is fundamental to maintaining client confidence.
In 2026, attackers are expected to increasingly focus on stealing identities rather than breaking systems.
Shared logins or weak password practices
Former staff retaining access to systems
Excessive permissions granted “just in case”
Poor visibility across practice management platforms
Centralise identity and access management
Enforce least-privilege access across systems
Automate onboarding and offboarding
Regularly review partner and staff permissions
Executive takeaway:
If identity controls are weak, every other security investment is undermined.
Your practice management system (PMS) sits at the heart of billing, matters, documents, and workflows — making it a high-value target.
Legacy systems without modern security controls
Inconsistent MFA enforcement
Third-party integrations with unclear security standards
Poor segregation between matters
Ensure MFA is enforced for all PMS access
Review and secure third-party integrations
Apply regular patching and vulnerability testing
Validate access rights at matter level
Executive takeaway:
A compromised PMS affects the entire firm, not just one matter.
eDiscovery introduces unique challenges due to the volume, sensitivity, and time pressure involved.
Large datasets stored temporarily with weak controls
External parties accessing discovery data
Limited tracking of who accessed what
Rushed workflows increasing the risk of mistakes
Secure discovery environments with granular access controls
Apply time-bound access and automatic clean-up
Use audit logs for defensibility
Define clear ownership for discovery data
Executive takeaway:
Discovery data requires the same — if not greater — protection than live matters.
Hybrid work is now permanent, but many firms are still relying on informal or inconsistent setups.
Staff accessing systems from unsecured networks
Personal devices without proper controls
Inconsistent performance between office and remote environments
Limited visibility over endpoint health
Secure remote access with zero-trust principles
Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Enforce device compliance standards
Standardise the user experience regardless of location
Executive takeaway:
Hybrid work must be designed — not improvised.
Even with strong technology, human error remains a leading cause of incidents.
One-off annual training that’s quickly forgotten
Staff unsure how to escalate concerns
Partners exempting themselves from controls
Training not aligned to real legal workflows
Continuous, bite-sized security awareness training
Realistic phishing simulations
Clear incident reporting processes
Visible leadership support and accountability
Executive takeaway:
Security culture starts at the top — and clients notice.
Cyber risk in 2026 will not be about a single system failing — it will be about small weaknesses across multiple workflows compounding over time.
For law firm leaders, the priority should be to:
Identify the most exposed points across the legal lifecycle
Apply targeted, workflow-aligned controls
Balance security with productivity
Review and refine controls regularly
The most resilient firms are those that integrate security into how legal work actually happens — from email and document exchange through to discovery and archiving.
Cybersecurity is no longer just about defending infrastructure. It’s about protecting how your firm works, how clients engage with you, and how trust is maintained.
Addressing vulnerabilities across the legal workflow doesn’t require radical change — just informed, deliberate decisions at the leadership level.