Cyberattacks Targeting Law Firms Surge as Stolen Documents Appear Online

Cybersecurity Threats Intensify in Legal Sector

Greenberg Traurig, a prominent international law firm, has reported a data breach involving unauthorized access to sensitive documents that have since appeared on the dark web. This revelation underscores a troubling trend of increasing cyberattacks targeting legal firms, with Greenberg Traurig informing affected clients about the incident, which included the exposure of Social Security details.

According to a report by BakerHostetler, the number of cybersecurity incidents connected to law firms nearly doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year, with the firm managing around 60 such cases. BakerHostetler's 2026 Data Security Incident Response Report highlighted over 1,250 incidents across various sectors in 2025, with phishing attacks accounting for 30% of these breaches.

Other law firms have also faced similar challenges. For example, Taft Stettinius & Hollister reported unusual activity in March 2026 that compromised clients' Social Security numbers. Additionally, in May, the London-based firm Herbert Smith Freehills disclosed that unauthorized access led to the exposure of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers and health records. WilmerHale is currently facing a proposed class action lawsuit following a breach in May.

Recent incidents include Goodwin Procter reporting a security breach on August 7 and Quinn Emanuel revealing a social-engineering attack on August 14 that compromised stored files through deceptive practices.

Concerns in the Cryptocurrency Sector

The trend of data breaches extends into the cryptocurrency industry as well. In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that attackers had bribed overseas support staff to access personal data from 69,461 users, though the firm confirmed that no funds or sensitive account information were compromised. In January 2026, Ledger reported a breach involving its e-commerce partner Global-e, which compromised order data of some customers. SafePal also reported a flaw in an order-tracking plug-in that exposed personal information of approximately 39,798 customers, though their payment information remained secure. Furthermore, Trezor recently revealed that hackers breached its third-party email provider, leading to phishing attempts disguised as security alerts.