Quinn Emanuel and McDermott disclose data breaches reported August 31
Two big-name US law firms, Quinn Emanuel and McDermott, just revealed they were hit by separate data breaches.
Both incidents were reported to authorities on August 31, but no one knows yet who is behind them or if they are connected.
The news is a reminder that even top law firms need to step up their cybersecurity game to keep client information safe.
Quinn Emanuel breach, McDermott exposed SSNs
At Quinn Emanuel, hackers used social engineering tricks on August 14 to break into files tied to a Florida lawsuit involving Muddy Waters.
The firm says only a small number of client documents were affected and that it traced the breach back to one compromised account.
Over at McDermott, personal details such as Social Security numbers and health data were exposed in another social engineering attack targeting just one user, but the firm says the issue is now fixed and its systems are secure.
These cases highlight how cyber threats are getting more common for legal teams handling sensitive information.