Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

Cybersecurity and data protection are issues of increasing concern for corporations, financial institutions, health care and other organizations. Regulatory noncompliance, financial and operational disruption, and legal and reputational damage are all real and growing risks for organizations that store and manage key data on networks that can be compromised by cybercriminals.

Despite the fact that all organizations, regardless of size, are at risk of a cyber-attack, few have prevention measures in place, or have planned for how they would respond in the event of an attack. Foster Swift helps clients prevent a data breach, and mitigate the damage when one has already occurred.

We also help clients understand and comply with the myriad state and federal statutes and regulations that implicate IT and cybersecurity issues, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), CAN-SPAM, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Federal Trade Commission Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, and states' breach notification laws, to name a few.

The members of our cybersecurity team have extensive experience counseling and advising clients in all aspects of cybersecurity and data protection. Because cybersecurity is a complex issue that requires an interdisciplinary approach, we team with outside information technology experts in connection with both prevention and breach response issues.

Preparation, Prevention and Response

We help clients put in place multi-dimensional procedures and best practices to prevent cyber-attacks.

Planning - We help companies develop or improve data security practices in order to lower the risk of a data breach and to prepare the company to respond if a breach occurs.
Training - A company’s workforce is the frontline of cybersecurity. Many “phishing” and malware attacks target a company’s employees, so we work with clients to ensure that employees are trained and informed about important cybersecurity issues.
Audits - We help clients conduct privacy and security assessments in order to minimize the risk of a breach and to position the company to respond if a breach occurs.
Policies - The best defense against a data breach is an informed and unified workforce. We help clients implement policies that require employees, as well as outside vendors, to use best practices to safeguard data and systems.
IT - We have relationships, and work closely with, a team of sophisticated IT specialists and consultants in order to help clients assess and make adjustments to critical IT infrastructure.
Insurance - We help clients understand whether there are any gaps in their cyber insurance coverage, and help those without cyber coverage analyze new products and negotiate cyber insurance policy placements.

While preparation is the best defense against a data breach, incidents happen - even to the best prepared companies. We have experience advising companies in responding to breaches. Working with IT experts, we help companies identify the source and scope of a breach, and assess their legal and regulatory responsibilities, including managing notifications required to various constituents and government agencies.

Recent Blog Posts

Publications & Alerts

How Cybercriminals are Targeting Real Estate Transactions, Foster Swift Finance Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law News, March 30, 2025
CTA Update 2.0: Nationwide Injunction Reinstated as of December 26, 2024, Foster Swift Business & Tax Law News E-blast, December 27, 2024
Corporate Transparency Act Blocked by Nationwide Injunction Weeks Before Deadline, Foster Swift Business & Tax Law News E-blast, December 5, 2024
2024 Year-End Checklist for Businesses, Foster Swift Business & Tax Law News, November 6, 2024
Will Recent Alabama Ruling Stay Implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act?, Foster Swift Business & Tax Law News, March 5, 2024
The AI revolution: A look back at 2023 and the future of AI in the law, Michigan Bar Journal: February 2024 Edition, February 11, 2024

Events

Legal Watchouts, County Road Association of Michigan: Mindful Use of AI for Road Agencies Workshop, February 19, 2025
Protect Your Agency from AI, County Road Association of Michigan: Mindful Use of AI for Road Agencies Workshop, February 19, 2025
Cybersecurity Issues, County Road Association of Michigan: 10th Annual Legal Issues Symposium, December 10, 2024
Holiday Talks: Essential Estate Planning and Tech Safety for Aging Family Members, Second Wednesday Sessions, November 13, 2024
The New Normal: Cybersecurity Essentials for Business Owners, Second Wednesday Sessions, October 9, 2024
Women's Month AI Meetup, Lansing Startup Grind, June 25, 2024
2024 AI Predictions and Legal Strategies for Women Leaders, Legal Strategies for Women Leaders, June 4, 2024