♫ To face the friends of Mr. Cairo
..
From Chicago to Hong Kong
Via Istanbul the Talking Tong
Dirty rats thru' prohibition
Money flowed thru gangsterism
Or Edward 'G' and all those guys
Who always shoot between the eyes
Between the eyes
Between the eyes…♫
Music by Vangelis, lyrics by Jon Anderson, "The Friends of Mr. Cairo".
Bradford Bleier, unit chief with the FBI's cyber division along with other 'cyber-officials' stated at an American Bar Association conference on Friday that:
"Hackers are increasingly targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients doing business overseas" according to Lolita C. Baldor and the Associated Press.
The intrusions are 'spear-phishing' attacks that are targeting law firms that are negotiating major international deals. According to Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, a New York firm was hacked in 2008 in an attack originating in China. Paller went on to say:
"The best documents to steal are in the law firm that represents that company," said Paller, adding that often they are looking for documents that lay out the company's playbook for the deal, or its negotiating positions and tactics."
The spear-phishing emails seek to plant a computer program that searches and send copies of documents to a server in another country. It may also create a 'back door' that allows the hackers into the system.
The nature of the game has changed. Rather than lone hackers:
" they now more often are part of larger transnational organized crime operations", said Chris Painter, the White House's acting cybersecurity director.
I would think that news such as this would give any law firm reason to pause and reevaluate their internet security systems. I would also think that it would cause law firms to reevaluate placing their data in the cloud, as they are potentially placing their client's sensitive information in the hands of third parties and depending on these third party's security systems to protect their data. Law firms and large Data warehouses must look like Fort Knox to the friends of Mr. Cairo.
As we all know, when it comes to getting their hands on the money, Edward G and all those guys will always shoot between the eyes…
