Taylor Wessing has won the Most Innovative Use of Technology at The Lawyer Awards 2019 for TW:detect.

Created by Taylor Wessing and Pervade Software, TW:detect scans client websites for indicators of compromise. The technology is the first of its kind in the legal market and Taylor Wessing is the only law firm in the market to have access to it.

The catalyst for developing this new tool was malware campaigns that affected a number of e-commerce websites, aiming to harvest credit and debit card details.

The tool works by scanning client websites for indicators of compromise drawn from a wide range of feeds. The firm will receive an alert with details of the apparent compromise, which is then raised with the client and their security teams.

Following the launch in October 2018, the team has developed five new use cases. These include protecting ecommerce websites and safeguarding customer data and clients' brands on the dark web, as well as monitoring the dark web for potential risks to clients' businesses.

Partner and head of the firm\'s cybersecurity team, Paul Glass, said: "There is far more illegal and infringing activity taking place than people are aware of. With TW:detect, we have developed a tool that enhances detection capabilities and reduces the amount of data theft our clients could face and also scans the dark web for particular threats to our clients. This win underlines how important and how innovative this tool truly is."

Judges added: "It is refreshing to see that a law firm is getting involved in an initiative to detect potential breaches of the law, rather than waiting in the wings for clients to approach them after they have become victims of an actual breach. Having experienced lawyers at hand to follow up on any breach gives Taylor Wessing an advantage over tech companies that may licence a competing product, but can't provide the relevant legal support."

The ceremony took place at Grosvenor House Hotel on 25 June.