Legal IT Support &Â Services for Law Firms
Consider how much time your legal team spends outside of the office. Access to court documents, files, and depositions is essential for them. To do this, you will need a technology infrastructure that is reliable, efficient, secure, and scalable as your client base grows.
Are you aware of the IT requirements for law firms? Is your law firm’s size affecting your IT needs?
One thing is that criminals are attracted to law firms and courts. According to the American Bar Association, 22 percent of law firms experienced a data security breach. It is important to protect your firm from external threats, as well as keep up to date with the latest IT trends. Make sure that your equipment can file the required documents without any delays.
We can help you ensure that your systems work properly so that your staff can do their jobs and make clients happy.
Your law firm’s size and your IT requirements
The right IT support can be chosen for law firms based on many factors. These include the budget and unique IT support requirements. While larger firms may have more employees and access to different locations and access levels, smaller firms can still be run by one individual. We offer managed services for solo practitioners and multi-office law firms, as well as everything in between.
Law firms of large size
Large law firms are often called full-service firms. They can have several hundred lawyers and staff or a few thousand.
Large law firms may be located in many cities, states, and countries. This means that they need secure ways to communicate and collaborate without restrictions. Because there is so much data, teams need reliable file sharing software, remote access, cloud storage, backup systems and capable cloud storage.
Along with secure VPNs, enterprise-level networks systems, and proprietary systems, often used are proprietary systems.
A large law firm has many clients that depend on you to protect their data. There are a lot of stakes. To get the best results and avoid costly mishaps, ensure that your technology is well-functioning. Also, make sure that your files are securely stored and locked down.
Solo practitioners and small law firms
Boutique law firms have fewer than a dozen lawyers. Boutique law firms are more localized than larger firms but still need good communication tools to allow attorneys to collaborate on complex legal matters.
Solo practitioners are law firms that have only one attorney. However, they may have an administrative assistant or legal assistant. Solo practitioners require IT support just like large law firms. This is to ensure client files are secure and e-filing with court. They can’t expect to be able to learn everything about IT if it’s just one person or one woman. They are focusing on the law.
Both categories have significant amounts of data to store, and they face the same pressures that larger practices.
Your systems must be capable of holding all information and keeping it organized for quick retrieval. However, smaller groups often underestimate cyberattack potential. Although they may believe that no one would target them, their inability to secure cybersecurity makes them more vulnerable.
Although security is only one aspect of an IT strategy, it’s a significant component. After a particularly bad breach, many small businesses have had to close their doors. Funds are a key issue for smaller companies. They are less likely than larger ones to be able to hire full-time employees. Outsourcing can help you save time and money while still obtaining the necessary tech services.
IT best practices for law offices
IT is complex. There are many things you need to keep track of. You may feel that it is more work than what you signed up for, especially if you have other responsibilities. We want you to be able do your job, get back to clients and succeed. So we have compiled a list of essentials that you will need. You can even outsource IT support for law firms to make your life easier. Make sure that they follow the following tips.
1. Use cloud services
Software companies are offering cloud-based services that can integrate with the programs they already use. This is a growing trend as more people realize how important cloud computing can be. Cloud-based services can make workflow more efficient and smoother. This is why it’s worth considering if your company needs a new system.
Cloud ecosystems make it simple to share, update and sync documents from any location in the world. Cloud ecosystems can also be used to secure and organize accounting, billing, and payroll. Cloud applications and implementations are great for redundancy, scalability and resilience so that nothing is on one server.
You should make sure that you have the right person to set up the cloud correctly if you want to use it for convenience, mobility, and other purposes. If you don’t have an IT support person for law firms, they should be able to assist you with major system configurations. It is crucial to ensure that new technology is properly configured from the beginning.
2. Role-based access control (RBAC).
Each employee, device and drive within an organization should have a unique ID. These IDs can be used to group access levels, and ensure that only authorized personnel have access to data and devices. This helps to reduce internal threats, both malicious and intentional.
Auditing file access should include logging traffic into the network and file access. This will allow you to see who has accessed what, when and how they have accessed it, and what they are doing.
3. Backups
The legal documentation that is private and personal can be found in law firms’ archives is a treasure trove. These documents should be saved digitally, and sometimes physically, with a backup.
An unexpected loss of crucial data could cause a client’s case to be lost, which could lead to a poor reputation for your company. Keep your clients’ trust in you. One of your greatest responsibilities is to ensure data are stored where they belong.
Your firm’s data and documents will not be protected by the cloud. While you may use the cloud for many things, it is not a reliable backup solution for your firm. Professional IT support for law firms will help you make sure that you have the right technology and are as safe as possible. Corrupted files can be a serious problem, so make sure your cybersafety is not compromised by malicious activity or other erroneous behavior.
4. Intrusion detection
All law firms should be familiar with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. This protects electronic communication against unauthorised monitoring. Attorney-client privilege must be protected at all cost. This includes encryption of all chat, email and voice channels. IT best practices can help protect your firm when they are implemented correctly.
Every security measure implemented is best efforts. It’s important to remember breaches can happen. You must still be able to determine if anyone gained access to your systems if and when they occur. You lock your doors when you leave the house. You can be confident that your security measures will work, and you won’t have to worry about someone breaking in. However, in the event that someone manages to break into your home, it is important to have an alarm system. Intrusion detection is the same.
You need to have both detection and protection in order to create a comprehensive strategy.
Information security (infosec), can be started with a risk assessment. This will determine the potential threats and vulnerabilities that your company faces. This is a great place for you to begin your security improvements. Hacking, theft of a smartphone or computer, physical office burglary, and many other security breaches are possible.
Top 3 IT threats for law firms
CPO Magazine estimates that cybersecurity will cause $6 trillion in damage by 2021. Small businesses are the target of half of these attacks, which leads to a $300 billion cybersecurity market. Three of the most serious threats are what IT support for law firms is focused on.
1. Bring your own device (BYOD).
Cisco found that 69 percent of IT decision makers favor BYOD as it saves time. Personal devices that contain client information can lead to problems. Mobile device management (MDM), an application that monitors this issue, can help you avoid unintentional security breaches by personal devices.
2. Cybersecurity
Symantec’s most recent cybersecurity threat report reveals how artificial intelligence (iot), and the internet of everything (iot), are fueling the next wave cyberattacks. Email phishing, social engineering, and web links can all lead to the leakage of sensitive data, which could then lead to malpractice suits. It is vital that anti-malware, firewalls, and anti-virus software are kept up-to-date.
3. Security awareness is lacking
Employees are the biggest weakness in an IT plan. Employees must be taught how to use technology correctly and the tech should be updated regularly. Your law firm’s long-term reputation can be damaged by outdated computer systems, unsecured public Wi-Fi and even the writing down of passwords. IT support for law firms can teach staff how to properly use a network and the best practices, so they are prepared to use it responsibly.
An proactive approach to IT security and data protection for law firms: backups, passwords, and user training
We offer managed services to law firms that provide IT support. Protecting your computer is the first step in protecting yourself. Anybody with physical access can cause havoc in your business network. This is the equivalent to allowing a stranger into your home.
Data redundancy and backups are key components of successful legal IT support. Client data can also be lost and this is just the beginning of the problems that ransomware or other threats can cause. And of course, it’s not just about security from cyberattackers–outdated systems or systems that don’t have enough storage can crash, sometimes without warning.
Do not leave your clients with bad news. You need an IT team that is able to respond to crises or prevent disasters. This can be done by assessing the situation and recommending the right technology.
Password protection and proactive IP protect the key to your company’s internal networks. LastPass is a great start for secure password management. Two-factor authorization (2FA) is also recommended. This authorization requires additional authorization than a password. Yubico’s Yubikey requires that you physically touch the device in order to generate a password. Even if a password has been leaked, hackers cannot remotely access user accounts. An additional measure to protect your IP address online is a solid VPN.
Security training should be provided to all employees. This was a major issue in the 2016 election and will continue to be a theme for 2020. Email security is a common threat to staff members. Employees must understand that client email access should only be done on secure devices, such as VPN-enabled devices.
Employees could compromise data security across the firm if they do not take precautions. Online threats could spread quickly to all devices and affect the network, including social engineering attacks and phishing attacks. Your IT partner can teach your team how you can identify threats such as these and other threats from other systems.
Conclusion
Attorney-client privilege is a trusted channel which requires constant, real-time security. Managed IT services for law firms provide 24/7 monitoring and access legal IT support. It doesn’t have to be difficult to find the right IT support for law firm.
