From Phishing to Ransomware: How to Keep Legal Translations Safe

Legal documents are increasingly being shared, translated, and stored online, exposing them to new and evolving cybersecurity threats. Legal translation involves the handling of sensitive information such as contracts, intellectual property filings, court documents, and more. Ensuring data security in legal document translations is not only a legal obligation but also a critical part of protecting your client's confidential information from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other security risks.

As threats keep changing, it's important to stay one step ahead with proactive security measures and the latest tech. In this article, we'll look at the new threats facing translations and give you some practical tips to keep your data safe.

The growing importance of data security in legal translations

Legal translations aren’t just simple word-for-word renditions of documents. They often involve handling highly sensitive data that could have serious consequences if exposed. From litigation materials to corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) agreements, legal translators work with information that requires airtight security.

Emerging cybersecurity threats—such as ransomware attacks, phishing schemes, and data leaks—are constantly adapting, putting your translated legal documents at greater risk. In fact, the legal sector continues to face significant cyber threats. A 2023 report by the American Bar Association revealed that 27% of law firms experienced some form of cybersecurity breach in the past year.

These incidents, including phishing attacks and data theft, underscore the urgent need for heightened data security practices in legal services. For legal professionals, ensuring trusted legal translations and keeping your legal document translation processes secure is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.

Read more: Legal Translation Precision and Its Impact on Case Outcomes

Rising threats in legal document translation

While traditional cybersecurity risks still pose a threat, new and sophisticated attack methods are emerging that specifically target data security in translating legal documents. Here are some of the top threats to watch out for:

1. Ransomware attacks on translation workflows

Ransomware attacks involve malicious actors locking down your data and demanding payment to restore access. In legal document translation, these attacks can lock confidential document databases, risking sensitive information being exposed or lost permanently.

Ransomware attacks surged by 13% in 2022, evolving into more sophisticated and targeted strategies. A survey by Baker McKenzie revealed that 62% of the 600 dispute lawyers surveyed identified cybersecurity as a major threat to their law firms, highlighting the growing concerns around data protection in the legal sector.

2. Phishing attacks targeting legal translators

Phishing schemes have grown more sophisticated, often disguising malicious emails as legitimate requests for legal documents. Legal translators who fall victim to these attacks risk exposing sensitive client information to bad actors. Around 94% of institutions experienced phishing attacks, and 96% of them suffered negative consequences as a result.

Phishing emails can trick translators into providing access to files or logins, enabling attackers to infiltrate document repositories and steal confidential data.

3. Man-in-the-middle attacks during file transfers

Legal documents are often transferred between clients, law firms, and translators. This process opens up opportunities for man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, where cybercriminals intercept unencrypted communications and gain access to confidential translated legal text.

An MITM attack could result in the unauthorized alteration of legal documents, potentially compromising case integrity or exposing sensitive data to competitors or adversaries.

Read more: Save Your Legal Arguments with Consistent Terminology

Be proactive in data security measures

To stay ahead of these emerging threats, legal professionals and translation agencies need to take a proactive approach. Here are key steps you can implement to enhance the data security of legal document translations:

1. Adopt zero-trust security practices

Zero-Trust goes beyond blocking external threats—it also tackles internal risks. Imagine a law firm collaborating with an external translation agency. In a traditional security setup, sensitive documents could pass through multiple systems and people, often without extra security checks. This leaves files vulnerable to unauthorized access. Zero-Trust fixes that by ensuring every step is secure, no matter who’s involved.

Training your team is key to keeping translations secure. From project managers to translators, everyone should know the latest cybersecurity threats, like phishing emails and unauthorized access. They need to learn how to use encryption for safe file transfers and create strong, unique passwords. Using password managers can also prevent password reuse across platforms. Regular updates and training ensure your team stays on top of these practices, helping to protect sensitive legal data and keep workflows secure.

2. Encrypt all legal documents

Encryption is a cornerstone of data security in legal document translation. By encrypting your legal files—both at rest and in transit—you can ensure that even if the data is intercepted, it will be unreadable to unauthorized users.

Right now, AES-256 encryption is the current gold standard in the legal industry, offering robust protection for sensitive documents. Legal translation agencies and law firms should use this level of encryption to safeguard their files. For even more cutting-edge protection, Quantum Encryption is on the horizon, offering near-unbreakable security for the most sensitive legal data.

3. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a simple yet effective way to prevent unauthorized access to translated legal documents. By requiring multiple forms of identification—such as a password and a mobile verification code—MFA adds an extra layer of security that significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

Legal professionals and translation service providers should enable MFA for all systems that handle sensitive legal documents, ensuring only authorized personnel can access translation files.

Top strategies for ensuring rock-solid security

Besides using advanced technologies, legal professionals and translation agencies should follow best practices to maintain data security in legal document translations. These steps not only enhance protection but also ensure compliance with legal requirements. Here's how to strengthen your data security strategy:

1. Employee training

Continuous employee training is key to any security program. Ensure that everyone handling legal document translations, from project managers to translators, is aware of the latest cybersecurity risks. They should know how to spot phishing emails, avoid suspicious file attachments, and respond to unauthorized access attempts.

Regular training should cover recognizing phishing scams, securing file transfers through encrypted platforms, and using strong, unique passwords. Implementing password managers can also help prevent the reuse of passwords across platforms. These simple practices help protect sensitive legal data and maintain a secure workflow.

By regularly updating staff on the latest threats and conducting security drills, you can significantly reduce the risk of human error leading to data breaches.

2. Regular security audits

Routine security audits are crucial for finding weaknesses and making sure your data protection is effective. These audits should check both your internal systems and any third-party services you use for translation. This includes looking for outdated software, misconfigured firewalls, or unencrypted data. It’s also important to verify that your security measures meet regulations like GDPR or HIPAA to avoid penalties. 

Additionally, assess the security practices of any third-party providers, ensuring they meet your standards and don't create vulnerabilities in your workflow. Regular audits help you stay secure and compliant.

Regular audits ensure that any security gaps are identified and addressed before they can be exploited by bad actors.

3. Incident response plans

No security system is perfect, so having an Incident Response Plan (IRP) is essential. This plan outlines the steps to take during a data breach to minimize damage and respond quickly. Employees should know who to contact if they suspect a breach, and clear protocols should be in place to contain the issue, such as isolating affected systems. 

After an incident, reviewing what went wrong and updating security measures is crucial. If sensitive client data is involved, it’s important to notify them promptly, maintaining transparency and ensuring legal compliance while protecting client trust.

Having an effective Incident Response Plan allows you to act quickly in the event of a security breach, limiting damage to your organization and protecting sensitive legal documents.

Read more: How to Translate Legal Documents: A Step-by-Step Guide

Securing cross-border legal translations

Cross-border translation of legal documents introduces additional complexities when it comes to data security, especially given the different data privacy laws around the world. It’s crucial to stay compliant with regional regulations such as GDPR in Europe, HIPAA in the United States, and China’s Cybersecurity Law.

Compliance with data privacy laws is crucial for cross-border legal translations. The GDPR enforces strict privacy rules for handling EU citizens' data, requiring law firms to follow these guidelines. Similarly, HIPAA protects health-related documents in the U.S. Legal professionals must comply with these regulations to safeguard sensitive information and avoid penalties.

When transferring sensitive legal documents across borders, it’s essential to use secure, encrypted communication channels to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Law firms should consider using Secure Digital Gateways and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to protect their documents during transfer.

By encrypting communication and limiting access to authorized users, law firms and translators can reduce the risk of interception and data leaks.

Read more: Consistent Multilingual Document Translations for Legal Compliance

Leveraging emerging technologies for legal translation security

As cyber threats continue to evolve, it’s important to adopt the latest technologies to protect legal translations. Two key solutions are making a difference: Blockchain and AI.

The blockchain keeps a record of every step in the translation process, from start to finish. This makes it really hard to change anything without it being noticed. This is particularly valuable for legal translations, where strict regulations and compliance standards must be followed closely.

Meanwhile, AI is becoming a must-have for spotting security threats before they happen. AI tools can keep an eye on translation workflows in real-time, flagging up potential risks like phishing attacks or suspicious data activity. This means law firms can respond quickly and neutralize threats.

Read more: Reimagining Human Expertise in Legal AI Translation

Conclusion

As cyber threats evolve, protecting data security in legal translation has never been more critical. By staying ahead of emerging threats like ransomware, phishing, and MITM attacks, and by adopting proactive security measures—such as Zero-Trust Architecture, AES-256 encryption, and blockchain technology—you can safeguard your translated legal content and protect your client’s sensitive information.

Ensure the accuracy and security of your legal documents with Tomedes, a trusted partner for professional legal translations. Our expert team guarantees precision, confidentiality, and compliance with global data privacy laws, giving you peace of mind in every project. Partner with Tomedes today to safeguard your sensitive information and achieve flawless translations.