Ever think about what happens when a breach doesn’t just hit your business—but your entire supply chain?
You don’t just have to fix it. You have to tell your vendors. Your partners. Your clients.
Maybe because it’s the right thing to do. Maybe because it’s in your contract. Maybe because it’s the law.
Bob, a seasoned attorney at a respected law firm, found this out the hard way.
The Email That Shut Down a Law Firm
Bob was having a normal day. He had court filings to submit, clients to update, and a never-ending inbox to manage.
Then, an email arrived from a county government office. He had been expecting something from them, so he opened it without a second thought.
The formatting looked right. The sender’s name matched. The document he had been waiting for was attached.
So he clicked. Logged in to “decrypt” the document. Moved on with his day.
But the email wasn’t from the county office.
Their system had already been compromised.
The moment Bob entered his credentials, the attackers had everything they needed.
The Fallout No One Saw Coming
It wasn’t just Bob’s inbox that was compromised. It was his firm’s entire email system.
But the real disaster started when the courts got involved.
When a law firm gets hacked, like many others, New Jersey’s court system has strict cybersecurity protocols. The response was immediate:
All emails from Bob’s firm to the courts were silently blocked. No bounce-backs. No errors. Just messages vanishing into the void.
Their access to the court system was revoked. No motions filed. No evidence submitted. No way to communicate with judges or clerks.
For days, Bob and his colleagues kept working, unaware that nothing they sent was being received. Cases stalled. Deadlines were missed.
And it was all because of a single email.
What If the Attack Had Lasted Longer?
The hacker didn’t just stop at Bob’s account. They had full access to his email and everything inside it.
They sat back and watched.
They scanned through emails looking for financial information, case details, and client communications.
They copied down contacts.
Then, when the time was right, they started sending messages as Bob. Carefully crafted, well-timed emails to his most valuable contacts—other attorneys, clients, and court officials.
Had this attack gone undetected for weeks, the damage would have been catastrophic.
Sensitive legal documents could have been stolen.
Client funds could have been redirected.
Confidential case strategies could have been leaked.
Bob’s firm was lucky. Their incident response team caught it before things spiraled further.
But most businesses? They wouldn’t.
This Could Happen to Any Business. Including Yours.
Your company might not file court motions, but you do send invoices. You do store sensitive customer data. You do rely on vendors who trust you.
What happens when your system is breached? When your email is compromised?
If your contracts or industry regulations require breach notification, you won’t have a choice.
You’ll have to tell your vendors. Your clients. Your cyber insurance company.
And if you didn’t take the right precautions? You’re the one they’ll blame.
How to Make Sure This Isn’t You
Most businesses think they’re covered. Most businesses are wrong.
Bob’s firm thought they were secure. They had IT policies in place. They required strong passwords. They had antivirus running.
None of it stopped the attack.
Here’s what would have:
Mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication. Bob’s account wouldn’t have been accessible, even with stolen credentials.
Better Email Security. The phishing email would have been blocked before it reached his inbox.
Proactive Monitoring. If the firm had been tracking email activity, they would have caught the silent block sooner.
Real Incident Response. Changing the password wasn’t enough. The hacker had persistent access.
Your Business Has Gaps. You Just Haven’t Found Them Yet.
You can do all of this yourself. But are you sure you’ll catch everything?
If you’re even slightly unsure—get a third-party risk assessment.
Because finding out the hard way? It won’t be four days of chaos.
It’ll be much, much worse.
