Author: The Spirit of LSSO
Given the recent, supernaturally bright light shining directly on artificial intelligence – its opportunities and challenges – would it surprise you to learn this October marks the 21st Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the U.S.?
More importantly (for our purposes), what’s that got to do with legal sales and service?
On October 15, Law.com published When Law Firms Get Hacked, Are Their Corporate Clients on the Hook?, a seriously scary tale of a very real situation not long buried…that could rise up and haunt any one of us in the not too distant future.
“What you should assume is that something will probably go wrong at some point. "Nothing's perfect, and no organization is impenetrable. You have to assume that somebody that you're going to give data to is going to have an event at some point," said Scott Kannry, CEO of cyber risk management firm Axio.
Everyone is trying to ‘figure it out’ even as we all realize ‘it’ is a slippery specter of a target. That’s why NOW is the time to talk – early and often – about data protection with current and prospective clients. And therein lies a competitive edge.
While some in our industry may fear conjuring up Beetlejuice by saying ‘cybersecurity’ three times in a row, savvy and sophisticated firms will be loudly and proudly carrying their fully lit torches (aka open communication) and sharpened pitchforks (aka best practice and thought leadership) as they march side-by-side with staff and clients against the evil spirits coming to steal our digital details.
This is not the time to creep around a complicated subject or be concerned with looking ghoulish because we don’t know THE answer. There isn’t just one. It’s an evolving labyrinth of situations and solutions through which we are all trying to outwit the shadowy moves of malicious and determined shapeshifters.
In the case of cybersecurity, a bit of fear can be healthy, motivating, relationship-building…and one of those paranormal differentiators we actually hope will possess us.
If data protection isn’t part of the RFP, add it to your response. If it hasn’t been brought up yet in the conversation or pitch presentation, be the first to mention it. Make sure what you’re saying is tailored to the target matter, client, and/or industry. And make sure you have something ready to say when a question seems tricky, which – if cybersecurity isn’t your expertise – is a distinctly frightening possibility, even if you have to conjure up a treat by saying: ‘Let me connect our security team with yours to ensure those who know this subject best are aligned on the right course of action for this engagement.’
Being vocal about this topic of universal concern is not sales and service sorcery; it’s a clear demonstration of ‘duty of care’ and a spooktacular way to set your firm apart from the competition.
