Cyber Breach Recovery

Your Clients' Secrets Are Someone Else's Ransom.

Law firms hold the most sensitive data in existence — and they're the most underprepared. Fenix24 is the battle-tested cybersecurity partner built to help you survive, recover, and protect what matters most.

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🎙 EPISODE 1 · NOW LIVE
The Fenix24 Podcast · Episode 1
Is Your Law Firm Actually Safe?
Cybersecurity expert John Anthony Smith delivers a candid, eye-opening look at why law firms have become prime targets for ransomware actors — and why most firms don't know it yet. From the economics of modern attacks to real threat groups like Scattered Spider and Akira, this is essential viewing for every managing partner and firm administrator.
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John Anthony Smith

CSO & Co-founder, Fenix24
What You'll Learn

What John Covers in This Episode

This episode is for managing partners, firm administrators, and anyone responsible for protecting client trust. Because in the legal world, your reputation is your business — and threat actors know it.

01

The Economics of Ransomware

Why ransoms are reaching into the millions — and why law firms are worth targeting even at smaller volumes than enterprise targets. The numbers will surprise you.

02

The One Thing Everyone Gets Wrong

The single most common mistake John sees across organizations — from weak identity verification at the help desk to overcrowded active directories hiding in plain sight.

03

Real Threat Groups, Real Risk

Scattered Spider, Akira, and others — who they are, how they operate, and why they specifically target professional services firms. Akira alone is Fenix24's #1 breach pattern.

04

Building Something Survivable

John's answer isn't panic — it's preparation. What it means to build a resilient firm, operate with the right mindset, and why a security assessment is the critical first step.

$5.08MM
Total average breach cost for law firms
1 in 5
Firms were targeted in a cyberattack in the past year
30+
Years of cybersecurity expertise
1998
Year John began serving law firms' security needs
John Anthony Smith

John Anthony Smith

CSO & Co-founder, Fenix24
Meet the Expert

John Anthony Smith

Chief Security Officer & Co-founder

John Anthony Smith has spent over 30 years at the intersection of technology, security, and human-centered business. He founded Conversant Group in July 2009, which evolved into Fenix24 — the World's First Civilian Cybersecurity Force — driven by his passion for building organizations that serve people first.

What sets John apart isn't just his technical depth — it's that he understands the practice of law. He has served law firms' technological and business needs since 1998, giving him an intimate understanding of the unique vulnerabilities, ethical obligations, and reputational stakes that make legal organizations such high-value targets.

His career began in 1994 at age 14, where he was involved in the initial rollout of industry-leading technologies including Citrix Winframe, Windows NT, and early Internet infrastructure. He founded his first company, Computech, in 1996 — and hasn't stopped building since.

Organizational Management, Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA
Computer Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Founded Computech (1996), NetAlliant Technologies (2002, sold 2008), Conversant Group / Fenix24 (2009)
Serving law firms' security needs since 1998
Clients across North America, Europe, and beyond
Why Law Firms Are Targeted

Your Reputation Is Your Practice.
Threat Actors Know That.

Law firms hold some of the most sensitive data in existence — M&A transactions, litigation strategy, privileged communications, client secrets. You have every incentive to pay quietly and move on. That's exactly why you're at the top of every threat list.

Privileged Data Equals High-Value Target

Attorney-client privilege does not stop ransomware. The same confidentiality that makes your work valuable makes it extraordinarily attractive to organized threat actors willing to weaponize it.

The Economics of Silence

Law firms pay ransoms quietly to avoid reputational damage. Cybercriminals know this. Your incentive to move on fast becomes their leverage to demand more.

Scattered Spider and Akira

These are not faceless risks. Groups like Akira represent Fenix24's number one breach pattern. They are organized, motivated, and specifically hunting professional services firms like yours.

Identity and Help Desk Exploits

The most common vulnerability is weak identity verification. Attackers social-engineer their way in through your own IT help desk before you even know an attack has started.

Overcrowded Active Directories

Years of onboarding without cleanup leaves your Active Directory littered with stale accounts. Each one is an open door. These vulnerabilities are hiding in plain sight right now.

Ethical and Disciplinary Exposure

Bar rules require firms to protect client data. A breach does not just cost money. It triggers disciplinary risk, malpractice exposure, and client defection you may never fully recover from.

Download ILTA Report
Catch John Live

John Anthony Smith:
Upcoming Speaking Events

John isn't just talking about cybersecurity — he's taking the conversation directly to the industry stages where it matters most. Catch him live, or meet with the Fenix24 team at these upcoming events.

April 15 – 16
Birmingham, AL
April 15, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM CT
Conference · Regional
Southeast Cyber Summit
Dedicated to advancing the cybersecurity profession across the Southeast, this summit facilitates critical regional collaboration. John will deliver a session on Cloud, Governance, and Enterprise Security on April 15 from 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM CT.
April 30 – May 2
Denver, CO
—
Legal Tech · Conference
ILTA EVOLVE
The International Legal Technology Association's premier event focuses on the evolution of legal tech. John will be in attendance to engage with legal IT leaders and firm executives on emerging digital risks.
May 6 – 8
Las Vegas, NV
May 5, 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM PT
Governance · Risk · Compliance
ISACA North America Conference
This cornerstone event for digital trust focuses on the intersection of IT audit, risk, and governance. John will kick things off with a speaking session during the pre-conference schedule on May 5 from 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM PT.

Is Your Firm Actually Safe?

Don't wait to find out the hard way. Our team will assess your firm's current security posture, surface the vulnerabilities hiding in plain sight, and give you a clear picture of where you stand — before a threat actor does it for you.

⚠ Active ransomware groups are currently targeting law firms. The best time to assess your exposure is before a breach — not during one.