DLA Piper

DLA Piper is a global law firm with its headquarters located in the United States of America. The firm operates as a full-service legal practice, providing counsel to a diverse range of clients including corporations, financial institutions, and governments across numerous international markets. Its organizational footprint is substantial, reflecting a significant presence in the global legal services sector. The firm's work encompasses a wide array of practice areas such as corporate law, litigation, regulatory compliance, and tax matters, serving clients from various industries on complex domestic and cross-border transactions and disputes.

In June 2017, DLA Piper was among the numerous organizations globally impacted by a widespread and destructive ransomware attack. This incident, attributed to the "Petya" or "NotPetya" malware variant, originated in Ukraine and rapidly propagated to systems in Europe and the United States. The attack exploited the EternalBlue vulnerability, previously associated with the WannaCry ransomware, and leveraged network administration tools to move laterally within compromised networks. For DLA Piper, as for other affected entities, the malware encrypted critical files and systems, causing severe operational disruption. The attack demanded Bitcoin ransom payments, but the mechanism for decryption was rendered ineffective when the attackers' associated email service was shut down, preventing victims from obtaining keys even if they paid. This event underscored the firm's exposure to significant cyber threats that can paralyze core business operations, a risk common to major professional services firms with extensive digital infrastructure. The incident did not result in the recovery of encrypted data through ransom payment and highlighted the destructive potential of wiper malware disguised as ransomware.