How Does Your Firm
Stack Up Against the Industry?
Data-driven cybersecurity benchmarks for law firms versus other sectors. Sourced from IBM Cost of Data Breach, Verizon DBIR, ABA Legal Technology Survey, and Coveware.
Key Trends Impacting Law Firms
Breach Costs Up 28% Since 2019
Average law firm breach cost rose from $3.9M to $4.8M over 5 years. Remote work expansion and cloud adoption increased attack surface significantly.
207-Day Average Detection Time
Law firms take over 6 months on average to detect a breach — and another 73 days to contain it. Unmonitored environments are the primary driver.
BEC Most Costly Attack Vector
Business Email Compromise attacks cost law firms an average of $150,000 per incident — and 71% of law firms have experienced at least one BEC attempt.
Only 31% of Firms Use MFA
Despite MFA being the single highest-ROI security control, fewer than 1 in 3 law firms have fully deployed it — creating a massive exploitable gap.
Regulated Industries Recover 40% Faster
Financial services firms with mature security programs recover from incidents in 17 days vs. 28+ days for less-regulated industries like law and real estate.
Ransomware Payments Up 89% in 2023
Average ransomware payment reached $568,000 in Q4 2023. Law firms are disproportionately targeted due to high-value client data and historically low security investment.
Industry Comparison — Select a Sector
Law Firms
Law Firms ⚖️ vs Law Firms ⚖️
Security Control Adoption Matrix — Law Firms vs. Best Practice
| Security Control | ⚖️ Law Firms | 🏦 Finance | 🏥 Healthcare | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFA Deployed | 31% | 78% | 52% | -47pp |
| EDR/XDR Endpoint Protection | 28% | 71% | 49% | -43pp |
| Backup Tested Monthly | 34% | 69% | 51% | -35pp |
| Incident Response Plan Exists | 22% | 82% | 61% | -60pp |
| Security Awareness Training | 41% | 85% | 72% | -44pp |
| 24/7 Network Monitoring | 19% | 74% | 58% | -55pp |
| Cloud Security Hardening | 25% | 67% | 44% | -42pp |
| Cyber Insurance (Adequate) | 48% | 91% | 77% | -43pp |
Law Firm Breach Cost Trend (2019–2024)
See How Your Firm Compares
These are industry averages. A Sentry security assessment gives you a precise picture of where your firm stands — and a custom roadmap to get above the benchmark.