Securing the cloud in the legal sector: A strategic priority, not just a technical challenge
The legal sector is a prime target for cyber criminals — making cloud security a business-critical concern for law firms. Iomart explores cybersecurity considerations beyond technical solutions: strategic oversight, cross-functional collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement
For today’s law firms and legal departments, cloud adoption offers undeniable benefits — flexibility, scalability and the ability to meet clients’ evolving expectations for digital service delivery. But with sensitive client data, confidential casework and strict regulatory obligations in play, cloud transformation also brings heightened risk.
Securing the cloud is no longer just a question for the IT team — it’s a business-critical concern for partners, GCs and compliance leads alike.
At Iomart, we recently brought together cloud and cyber security experts to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping cloud security. One message came through loud and clear: in highly regulated sectors like legal, security must lead the strategy, not follow it.
The legal sector: A prime target for evolving threats
Law firms are increasingly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. High-value data, complex supplier networks and remote working models have created the perfect storm for risk.
Penetration testing — simulating real-world attacks to uncover vulnerabilities — is now essential. It’s a powerful tool not just for IT assurance, but for meeting client due diligence requirements and maintaining professional indemnity standards. In a sector where reputation is everything, prevention is always better than remediation.
The cloud advantage — if managed securely
From streamlining case management to enabling secure collaboration, the cloud is reshaping how legal services are delivered. But it’s not without its pitfalls. Misconfigured environments, lack of visibility and an overreliance on third-party providers can all introduce new gaps.
For legal practices, cloud security isn’t just about avoiding breaches. It’s about safeguarding privilege, client trust and regulatory compliance. Embedding security into every layer of your cloud infrastructure is critical to meeting GDPR obligations, SRA guidelines and client expectations.
AI: Transformational, but not without risk
AI is beginning to make waves in legal — from document review and discovery to risk analysis and client service. But as firms begin to experiment with AI tools, new questions arise around data governance, bias and accountability.
The risks aren’t hypothetical. If sensitive case data is fed into a generative AI tool without proper controls, firms could face serious confidentiality breaches or ethical concerns. That’s why robust access controls, clear governance frameworks and transparency around AI use are essential.
Why law firms need a security-first cloud strategy
Legal leaders must now balance innovation with accountability. The biggest challenges facing cloud transformation in legal today include:
- Cost complexity: Unanticipated cloud costs, often caused by misconfigurations or lack of visibility, can strain already tight operating margins
- Architecture and skills gaps: Securing hybrid or multi-cloud environments requires specialist knowledge that many firms struggle to retain in-house
- Data protection and AI risk: As more legal tech tools leverage AI, firms must ensure data sovereignty, access control and reliability are not compromised
In short, the cloud is no longer just about agility — it’s about resilience, governance and reputational risk.
The way forward for legal firms
Cloud security in the legal sector demands more than technical solutions. It requires strategic oversight, cross-functional collaboration and a culture of continuous improvement.
Here’s what forward-thinking firms are prioritising:
- Security-first design: Building secure cloud environments from the ground up, not retrofitting after deployment
- Regular penetration testing and risk assessments: Providing assurance to clients, insurers and regulators
- AI readiness: Establishing governance frameworks before deploying generative or predictive AI tools
- Trusted partnerships: Working with experienced cloud and security partners to bridge internal capability gaps and keep pace with emerging threats
Is your firm’s cloud security strategy fit for purpose?
At Iomart, we help legal firms modernise with confidence — securing their cloud environments while supporting innovation, compliance, and long-term resilience.
If you’re reviewing your cloud security posture, planning AI adoption, or navigating new compliance challenges, let’s talk about how we can support your journey.
