Infosec Lawyers at a Premium

For many unwelcome reasons, information technology security professionals need lawyers, but it's not always easy to find one that understands the nature of intricate infosec topics. In fact, many security practitioners report that the vast majority of lawyers they encounter are intimidated by computers. The question arises: Is there a kind of lawyer or law firm that focuses solely on infosec topics?

While you would be hard-pressed to find a law firm dealing only in infosec, there are some boasting tech savvy lawyers. However, you'll need to do your homework to find them. This remains an important question because the very nature of regulatory, IT/Data security, compliance, privacy work or even just risk management pushes security professionals toward lawyerly confines all the time.

Some IT professionals I've talked to rely on prepaid legal services for advice. Others have found help by joining their country's professional society (ACS), which sometimes comes with access to some free legal counsel.

No matter what direction you choose, selecting a lawyer is always an arduous choice, and most security professionals agree you'd be better off selecting an attorney in advance of a crisis than chasing one down after something's already happened. Do you know any technologically adept infosec lawyers? If so, please share in the comments field!

Adam Ross is managing editor at the SANS Institute and wrote, edited, and Web produced for The Washington Post's opinions and politics sections, online and in print. You can reach him at aross@nextgov.com.