Law firms rethink technology strategy amid AI and cyber threats

Law firms are undergoing a strategic shift in how they approach technology, moving from viewing IT as mere infrastructure to treating it as a core discipline. This evolution is driven by the dual forces of advancing artificial intelligence and an increasing landscape of cyber threats.

AI is significantly altering the economics of legal work by automating repetitive tasks such as contract review, document summarization, and clause extraction. Research from Deloitte indicates that 61% of surveyed legal departments have reached an AI deployment stage, with another 61% piloting agentic AI. However, this adoption requires new governance frameworks to manage confidential information and ensure human accountability.

Simultaneously, the legal sector faces heightened cybersecurity risks due to the sensitive nature of the privileged communications and financial data they hold. With the average global cost of a data breach reaching approximately $4.35 million, firms are increasingly focused on defending against sophisticated threats like phishing, social engineering, and ransomware attacks.