The return-to-office wars have taken an unexpected new turn: cybercriminals may be the latest force getting lawyers back behind their desks.
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, one of the nation’s largest law firms, has ordered its remote and hybrid employees back to the office following a cyberattack that forced the firm to shut off external access to its internal network. Employees were told they must either work onsite or bring firm-issued computers home.
According to internal emails obtained by Bloomberg Law, the trouble began with cybercriminals impersonating members of the firm’s IT department, calling employees and using spoofed phone numbers in an attempt to gain access to accounts.
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“Until additional equipment can be purchased and distributed, those on remote or hybrid schedules will need to either work from the office or bring their current office computer setup home,” Elijah Bernal, an office administrator overseeing the firm’s vendor relationships, wrote in a June 10 email viewed by Bloomberg Law. …
“Please note that bringing office equipment home may present some challenges with Wi-Fi connectivity,” Bernal said. For those “absolutely unable” to work in the office, Bernal asked employees to request a “temporary work solution.”
The tactics resemble those used by the Silent Ransom Group, which has targeted major law firms — including the likes of Jones Day and Fox Rothschild — in recent months. The FBI warned in May that the group has been using social engineering techniques, including fake IT support requests made over the phone, email, and even in person.
The firm has not said whether the attackers successfully breached its systems, but it is reportedly moving toward permanently eliminating access to firm systems through personal devices. A firm with more than 1,600 lawyers and a robust cybersecurity practice suddenly finding itself in a cybersecurity crisis is a reminder that, in the legal industry, even the firms advising clients on digital threats aren’t immune from becoming the next cautionary tale.
Lewis Brisbois Calls Remote Staff to Offices After Cyberattack [Bloomberg Law]
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Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.