Cybersecurity Risks Associated with ChatGPT’s Generative AI Chatbots for Lawyers

Lawyers who use generative artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT are at risk of cyber threats, warns a cybersecurity and data privacy expert. These chatbots not only reveal sensitive information but also supercharge many security threats such as phishing, social engineering, and malware. Lawyers worldwide have rushed to ChatGPT as it helps them draft memos, correspondence, and court documents that cite case details and parties to litigation. However, ChatGPT’s vulnerabilities serve as a cautionary tale for lawyers who use this technology for research, case strategy or to produce first drafts of sensitive documents. Furthermore, generative AI tools can be used by cybercriminals to dupe victims with deepfake audio, social engineering, and malware. The new tech blurs the line between security and privacy, and law firms worldwide need to boost traditional security measures such as multifactor authentication and create a culture of security and privacy through actionable policies and practices. Firms must also focus their attention on human error and behavior as humans are involved in more than 80% of data breaches.