cybersecurity

The number of cyber incidents is increasing daily. Even sophisticated technical cybersecurity measures cannot guarantee complete protection. Attacks that make use of human manipulation, known as social engineering, pose a particularly significant risk and are becoming increasingly advanced. Even artificial intelligence is already being used to enable successful attacks.

Furthermore, cybersecurity incidents do not take a summer break. On the contrary, periods with reduced staffing– such as holiday seasons – often pose an increased risk for organisations

When a cyber incident occurs, a timely legal and strategic response is crucial to mitigate legal risks, limit damages (claims), meet regulatory deadlines and support business continuity and quick recovery.

Schoenherr offers a 24/7 one-stop-shop that coordinates technical forensics, administrative, civil and criminal proceedings, investigations and post-incident measures to help companies and institutions in CEE manage the legal and factual implications of cyber incidents.

Thanks to our extensive internal Schoenherr network and our international offices, we are able to provide support in Austria and in many other jurisdictions.

If your organisation is affected by:

• ransomware, malware, hacking or other cyber attacks
• data loss, exfiltration of data, infiltration by an attacker
• phishing, CEO fraud or other Social Engineering incidents
• unauthorized access or
• any other cyber related incident needing rapid assistance

you can contact our emergency cybersecurity legal team at any time via email.

Report an incident

Please note: before detailed legal advice can be provided, a brief conflict check must be carried out in accordance with legal requirements. This process may take a certain amount of time.

Even when internal IT teams are well prepared, legal and forensic coordination is often overlooked. Our team provides assistance, especially covering:

• initial legal assessment of the incident under the relevant law
• evaluating statutory notification obligations
• advising on communication strategies with regards to clients and internal/external stakeholders
• ensuring documentation and preservation of evidence
• conducting of or defending against recourse, administrative, compensation and liability proceedings
• managing insurance correspondence and claims
• handling forensic investigations
• mitigating liability risks and preparing for potential defensive proceedings
• support in recovering funds

We aim to ensure that organisations meet legal obligations promptly while protecting their interests.

Legal actions may be required within 72 hours or less following a cyber incident, including during weekends and at night. Notwithstanding statutory obligations, our experience shows that early legal intervention furthermore:

• ensures the quality and success of internal investigations
• supports coordination between legal, technical and management teams
• enables strategic decisions on containment, reporting and remediation of an incident
• helps limit the actual damage

Schoenherr’s team advises Austrian and international clients especially on:

• comprehensive cyber incident handling and breach response
• GDPR, DORA, NIS1/2 compliance
• regulatory investigations and proceedings
• cooperation with administrative authorities

We work closely with in-house legal, IT, compliance and risk teams to ensure a coherent and compliant response. Furthermore, we support and orchestrate external technical forensic teams to restore business quickly and analyse the incident extensively.

For further information about our cybersecurity legal services or the 24/7 emergency contact point, please reach out to:

To assist clients in preparing for the summer period, we have created a short how-to guide covering practical steps to tackle the current cybersecurity threat landscape.

Download english guide

Download german guide