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October is Cybersecurity Month in the United States, but with the increasing rates of cybercrime, both from international and domestic sources, there is no month where cybercrime isn’t a constant, potentially catastrophic threat. The SolarWinds attack attributed to Russia in 2020, recent attacks on the water supply and other national infrastructure, and the increasing rate at which people have started working from home after the pandemic, has increased our awareness of cybercrime and our need to be constantly vigilant.

Artificial Intelligence is a way of using technology to analyze large amounts of data in much less time than it would take a human user, and to make predictions based on this data that can be helpful for a variety of applications. Deep Blue’s legendary chess match against Kasparov is a classic example of AI and its ability to predict certain outcomes based on data.

One consistent message that seems to resonate from legislature to legislature across the world is the recognition of the fact that data - especially personal data - is both a weapon and a vulnerability, and in the quickly-evolving digital landscape of today the task of safeguarding it effectively becomes more and more difficult. The Australian legislature seeks to update its current privacy laws, which are based on both the original 1988 Privacy Act, and its later update from 2000, to reflect the rapid technological advancements that took place in the early 21st century in data collection, data storage and data analysis.

The legal industry is undergoing transformational changes as aspects of information governance and eDiscovery are refined with new data governance solutions and technologies to address evolving business and regulatory requirements.

On April 4, the DOJ Antitrust Division announced an update to their leniency policy and issued a revised set of frequently asked questions (FAQ).

The role of in-house counsel in Japan has evolved significantly over for the past few years as the reluctance to embrace the concept of in-house legal departments has changed — largely out of necessity.

Legal Services providers are increasingly focusing on Australia’s legal market to explore opportunities to push forward global expansion efforts amid a positive, changing legal landscape.

October is the 18th Annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the United States. It is sponsored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cyber Security Alliance. This year’s theme is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” Being Cyber Smart includes awareness of current threats like business email compromise (BEC), phishing, ransomware, and supply chain compromise.

2021 has been a record year for legal tech: $1.4 billion was invested by venture capital firms in the first half of the year, which is more than in the entirety of 2020, and well above what was raised in 2018 and 2019. Leading the investment boom are startups like RocketLawyer (which provides legal services to individuals and small businesses), Verbit (voice transcription for the legal sector), Notarize (digital notarization), and Clio (cloud based CRM).

There is seemingly no limit to the applications for Artificial Intelligence and to the great expectations (or potential threats) that many tech and business leaders have predicted for its applications. In July of 2021 Google CEO Sundar Pinchai reiterated his belief that the effects and use of AI will be more profound on the history of humanity than fire or electricity, and Tesla founder Elon Musk has warned that AI could lead to the next world war. Nuclear fission is a common comparison among commentators, both in AI’s potential uses and potential dangers.

The concept of infusing Artificial Intelligence into legal technology solutions started at the onset of the digital age, around the time when smartphones became widely available and AI began to be practically applied to optimize user experiences based on prior user behavior. Brands that rushed to develop and incorporate AI into their products and services included global flagship companies such as Amazon (Alexa), Apple (Siri), and subscription-based organizations, Netflix and Spotify, that began to feature the ability to provide AI-based recommendations to users.

Global technology competition has grown fierce recently requiring nations to consider and enact technology protection policies and strategies. In Japan, for example, there was a significant change in 2014 under the Liberal Democratic Party that led to the development and passage of the Economic Security Promotion Act in 2022, along with a new National Security Strategy.