What happened
At the end of last year, we identified and promptly contained unauthorised activity on part of our IT network and commenced an investigation with the support of external forensic specialists.
Our investigation is now complete and, while it established that a limited amount of data was copied from our systems, our prompt actions to secure our environment meant that this did not disrupt our usual ways of working and we continued to provide our normal client service throughout.
Our response
We promptly reported this to the relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) and law enforcement. The SRA and ICO were satisfied with our response and have since closed their files.
While incidents of this nature are unfortunately becoming more common, we are determined to learn from this experience. We have already taken steps to further strengthen our IT security and will continue to review and enhance our systems in light of the findings from our investigation.
Data Impact
The data involved is limited and relates to a subset of matters and clients. It includes information that enables us to provide our services and varies from person to person.
Recommended Guidance
It is possible that the information relating to affected individuals could be used misused fraudulently. However, there is currently no evidence that any data has been misused and no indication that this was directed at any particular individual. As a precaution, we recommend you remain vigilant and take the following precautionary steps:
- Use strong passwords and change them regularly. We recommend that passwords are at least twelve characters long and use numbers, upper case, lower case and symbols.
- Implement multifactor authentication on accounts where that’s possible.
- Don’t give out your personal details over the phone unless you are sure who you are speaking to and avoid opening any attachments / clicking on links from unknown senders.
- Review the direct debits set-up on your bank account and double check you recognise them.
- Never send money to someone you don’t know via email, text or online forms.
Next steps
If you require further information about this, you can contact our dedicated mailbox support@thrings.com and our team will be happy to assist.
