Cyber security: Joint recommendation last year
Just 19% of barristers’ chambers currently meet the Bar Council and Law Society’s joint recommendation to achieve Cyber Essentials certification, new research has found.
The two organisations updated their joint information security questionnaire for all centralised services provided by chambers last year to include a reference to Cyber Essentials.
But IT services provider Atlas Cloud said a check of the official register of Cyber Essentials certifications showed that just 74 of the 321 multi-member chambers had certified within the last 12 months.
Cyber Essentials is a simple self-assessment accreditation process that the government introduced in 2014 to help organisations confirm they have a minimum level of cyber security protection in place.
Law firms increasingly require chambers to have the certification, while it is mandatory for public sector contracts, with the government recommending it through the supply chain too.
The company said there were “shoots of positivity”, however, with 29 of the 74 having obtained certification for the first time in the past year, indicating some response to the joint guidance.
Pete Watson, CEO of Atlas Cloud, said: “Unlike typical organisations, chambers face a unique hurdle: every self-employed member’s device now falls within scope. That complexity often delays progress – but delay is no longer an option…
“The window to get ahead is closing fast – those who delay risk being left behind.”
Separately, The Barrister Group – which owns Clerksroom – has been accredited by the Bar Standards Board as one of just five organisations in England and Wales to offer public access training for barristers and is offering free training to barristers directly impacted by the cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency, which has left many facing cash flow difficulties.
Chief executive Emily Foges said: “Public access offers a significant advantage for those looking to quickly rebuild their income, as it is often paid up front.
“Between TBG’s training offering and our extensive public access reach, we hope to support affected barristers in accessing immediate cash flow, provide some stability amid the current uncertainty, and give back to the wider profession – beyond our own membership.”
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