Cyberattacks on Legal Firms Double Since 2023

A new report shows hackers are increasingly targeting law firm billing software and sensitive client data.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Cybersecurity

Bold flat-color editorial illustration featuring a sharp, angular steel structure against a neutral background, evoking the digital security of law firms. — Cyberattacks on U.S. law firms have doubled since 2023, with hackers increasingly targeting sensitive client data and internal systems, according to CrowdStrike. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Cyberattacks against legal entities have doubled since 2023, according to a report from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Threat actors are increasingly utilizing agentic AI and social engineering to target sensitive information.

Why it matters

Law firms are high-value targets because they maintain intellectual property, merger details, and confidential financial records. Adversaries target these firms to gain strategic intelligence or financial profit.

Hackers have moved beyond traditional network breaches to exploit vulnerabilities specifically in software used by law firms for timekeeping and billing. Attackers also used agentic AI technology to scale sophisticated social engineering campaigns.

The players

CrowdStrike

This Austin-based cybersecurity firm specializes in endpoint protection and cloud workload security.

The details

Hackers recently used a social engineering scheme involving an IT impersonator to breach a U.S. law firm. Criminals also targeted industry-specific software to gain unauthorized access to internal systems.

2023 served as the baseline year for the observed doubling of cyberattack incidents.
A Russian national was hired by cyber criminals to pose as an IT employee in November 2025.
The CrowdStrike data collection period concluded in August 2026.
The CrowdStrike Legal Threat Landscape Report was released on October 28, 2026.

The Tech Race

This wave of attacks against law firms underscores a broader shift in digital warfare where specialized professional service firms are replacing broad government targets. It positions cybersecurity providers against evolving criminal groups that leverage automated, agentic AI to bypass legacy security systems.

Legal clients should remain vigilant regarding the security of communications and financial documentation shared with their firms. Individuals interacting with law firms should verify the identity of IT support personnel during any unsolicited contact.

The takeaway

Security leaders at law firms should prioritize securing timekeeping and billing software as a critical defensive perimeter. Implementing strict multi-factor authentication and IT verification protocols is essential to mitigate social engineering risks.