I.T. AT THE BAR:
The importance of securing hardware
As you’ll know, in 2024, The Bar Council and Law Society widened the scope of their cyber security questionnaire for Chambers to include self-employed Barristers and their hardware.
As the questionnaire is designed for solicitors’ firms to use when instructing chambers, it’s only a matter of time before non-conformance begins to risk instructions.
The question is: How quickly are Chambers responding to the update?
(since guidelines updated)
New guidelines:
How are Chambers responding to them?
Aside from Barrister hardware, the questionnaire now also recommends Cyber Essentials, a Government-backed certification.
As a Cyber Essentials certification partner, we thought we’d check the official Cyber Essentials register to see the uptick in certifications from Chambers. A year on from the publication of updated guidelines, our research (published in X, Y and Z) found that 74 out of 321 multi-member chambers are now Cyber Essentials certified – we also discovered that 66% of these were new certifications since the guidelines came out.
With a growth rate that high, it’s safe to assume that the response has been significant.
Is anyone at your Chamber working towards the new guidelines yet?
Your path:
complying with the new guidelines
2024’s questionnaire update was not insignificant and there is a lot for chambers to prepare for.
But help is at hand. At Atlas Cloud, we’re proud to serve several chambers, collaborating to ensure compliance with the more stringent guidelines.
Originally a blueprint formed by Challow, a London-based MSP that merged with Atlas Cloud, we offer an all-in-one managed IT service that helps chambers comply with ease.
COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST
- Cyber Essentials certification
- Enforced bring your own (BYOD) policy
- Stringent zero trust policies applied
- Mobile device management (MDM) solution
THE BLUEPRINT:
Transition to compliance in two months
Our all-in-one solution is based on a stringent implementation of what’s called a “Zero Trust” solution that also includes a “Bring Your Own Device” (or BYOD) strategy to incorporate self-employed members.
We’ve been through the process several times with chambers to help them robustly answer all of the questionnaire’s elements, while also complying with all elements covered within Cyber Essentials. Now we just run through the blueprint with Heads of Chambers and Senior Clerks to help them ensure their chamber is assured for long-term success.
If you’re looking to transition your chamber to comply with The Bar Council’s new recommendations, please do get in touch.
ACCPETING R.F.P'S
Atlas Cloud welcomes the opportunity to respond to Requests for Proposal (RFPs) from barristers’ chambers of all sizes across the UK.
If you are preparing to invite tenders for IT managed services, our Barristers’ Chambers IT Managed Service RFP Checklist (2025 Edition) can help you structure your requirements in line with the latest Bar Council cybersecurity recommendations.
Once your documentation is ready, you can securely submit your RFP to us here and our team will respond with a detailed, compliance-led proposal tailored to your chambers’ needs.
