Legal sector faces surge in AI-fueled cyberattacks

The legal profession is experiencing a significant rise in cyberattacks, driven increasingly by agentic artificial intelligence. According to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Legal Threat Landscape Report, cyberattacks targeting the legal sector have doubled since 2023.

Between August 2025 and August 2026, adversaries identified 455 legal entities as hacking targets, representing a 39 percent increase from the previous year. The report highlights that extortion groups are particularly interested in law firms due to the highly confidential nature of client information.

Specific threats include the group CHATTY SPIDER, which saw a 129 percent increase in malicious activity, and China-nexus group MURKY PANDA, which reportedly targeted nearly 500 accounts at a single US law firm. Singapore has been identified as a top target for these attacks, with six Southeast Asian legal entities appearing on data leak sites.