Given all the hacking and ransomware instances that are currently in the news, it is no surprise that attorneys are under scrutiny to explain what security measures they are taking to ensure the protection of their clients’ personal information.

There has recently been a significant rise in data breaches among New York law firms and the importance of this issue will continue to grow in the coming years. Additionally, New York just passed the SHIELD Act, with the goal of strengthening protection for New York residents against data breaches affecting their private information. The Act “creates, for the first time, substantive security requirements for persons or businesses that hold the ‘private information’ of New York residents.”

Given this new law, the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Technology and the Legal Profession has now recommended the adoption of a specific cybersecurity CLE requirement.

Both Florida and North Carolina have added technology credits to their CLE requirements, but the Committee felt that given the pressing need in New York, a more focused cybersecurity one-credit CLE mandate would be more effective than simply adding a general technology requirement.

The New York State Bar Association has now approved the proposal and the matter is presently before the New York CLE Board for consideration.

You can read more about the new requirement here.

Be assured that if the cybersecurity CLE credit is officially mandated, Marino Legal CLE will have a program to satisfy the new requirement. In the meantime, if your CLE deadline is approaching, check out our new 24 credit New York CLE bundle here.