Article Explores Myths And The Hero’s Journey On The Road To Cyber Safety

A newly published legal technology handbook features two specialists from Irwin Mitchell outlining how the law firm has tackled the cybersecurity issues faced by colleagues and clients.

Entitled The Legal Tech Book, the publication features contributions by a selection of co-authors exploring different technology topics and issues faced by the legal sector.

Irwin Mitchell’s chief information security officer and head of data analytics, Graham Thomson, together with trainee solicitor Daryna Plysak co-authored Cybersecurity: Myths and the Hero’s Journey. Drawing on Greek mythology, the article examines some of the Herculean tasks faced by modern businesses when it comes to cybersecurity and the road to take to success.

With cybercriminals taking advantage of the fact that modern systems such as the Internet and email were not originally designed with security in mind, the article examines what can be done to protect the vital systems that now sit at the heart of infrastructure for many modern firms.

The book is published as increasing numbers of businesses grapple with the online security issues posed by thousands of employees now working from home. Rather than a theoretical look at an abstract issue, the article takes Irwin Mitchell as a real life example of how one firm is successfully tackling the problems posed by cybersecurity in practice.

The article explores the framework, policies and risk-based controls and procedures firms can follow to treat cyber risk, how to identify the ‘hero’ needed to tackle the issue and the tools and support they will need in order to succeed.

Co-author and trainee solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, Daryna Plysak, said: “It was great to work with Graham on this article and explore how we successfully tackle the issue of cybersecurity.

“The culture and controls Irwin Mitchell already had in place allowed us to make the move to home working securely and safely and in a way that works for our colleagues and clients alike. This gave us a big advantage when lockdown happened but this is a journey others can take.

Frameworks, policies and procedures that treat cyber risk are important to identify and detect threats and to respond and recover, but culture has a big role to play too. Rather than a top down approach we work together to tackle cybersecurity and support those who need it. This approach, based on our values as a firm, has undoubtedly proved a success and this book is the perfect way to show the journey we have been on and how others can follow in our footsteps.”

Graham Thomson, chief information security officer and Head of Data and Analytics at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The voyage to effective cybersecurity may seem like pushing a rock up Sisyphus’ never ending mountain, but with this article, Daryna and I have aimed to show that while there is a crisis in cyberspace, for those who rise to the opportunity, help is at hand.

“In any good adventure, the journey has monsters to defeat, wise sages to heed and trials to endure. The enemy is well-armed, well-resourced and determined and can seem like a hydra that grows new heads as you lop one off, but there are practical steps heroes out there can take to fight and win against even such a seemingly invulnerable foe.”