Some of DLA Piper’s core systems were this afternoon taken out by a major cyber attack that the BBC and other mainstream media channels are reporting has caused chaos among companies across the globe.
The top 10 global law firm’s telephone lines are now working in London but its email is still down and a spokesperson for the firm confirmed to Legal IT Insider: “The firm, like many other reported companies, has experienced issues with some of its systems due to suspected malware. We are taking steps to remedy the issue as quickly as possible.”
While law firms behind the scenes are understood to be regularly hit with more targeted malware attacks, invariably they don’t become public and this is one of the first and most high profile known cyber attacks in the legal sector.
The suggested malware is being widely reported to resemble the “Wannacry” ransomware attack in May, which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
This latest “Petya” cyberattack started in the Ukraine and has spread to countries including Spain, India and the US. Companies to confirm they are affected include Merck.
More to follow.