According to the American Bar Association, 25% of respondents to the ABA’s 2021 Legal Technology Survey Report found their firms had experienced a data breach at some time.
The ABA also puts forth ethics rules for practicing attorneys. When using technology, they must:
- Employ competent and reasonable measures to safeguard the confidentiality of information relating to clients
- Communicate with clients about the attorneys’ use of technology and obtain informed consent from clients when appropriate
- Supervise subordinate attorneys, law firm staff, and service providers to make sure they comply with these duties
This survey also shows that while it is an ABA recommendation for ethics, a good chunk of law firms don’t implement proper safety measures. How can you improve? How can you do better? If you don’t, you put your clients and your firm at risk.
Find out how in this article.
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Phrase Away with Your Passwords
When considering a strong password, there are a few rules we like to follow. They shouldn’t have any personal attribution to you as a person. They should be long. How long? According to Wired, 12-character passwords are more difficult to penetrate.
They should be random, and phrase- based. Now, what do we mean by phrase- based? Passphrases area string of random words.
Look around your desk. Are there any three random things that catch your eye?
It could be plant, poster, and lipstick. Add a few special characters and numbers, and you’ve got yourself a safe password.
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Keep An Extra Layer of Protection with Password Managers and 2FA
Password protection doesn’t just mean picking a good password. Ensure you have two-factor authentication through your phone or an application like Google Authenticator or Authy.
With additional layers of security like 2FA, you should also have a password manager recommended by your outsourced IT professional to keep your passphrases secure and accessible.
View this Article: Educate Your Employees about Cybersecurity
Train Your Employees to Recognize Phishing
Phishing is when a hacker sends fraudulent emails or messages targeting vulnerable employees in your organization.
Hackers pose as coworkers, clients, and management to fool you into thinking you know them. They will ask you to click on a link or request personal information they don’t normally ask for.
Your spam filter won’t always catch these attacks. It’s essential to view your emails with scrutiny, even those posing as clients. You never want to risk client data.
The best solution you can move forward with is having a dedicated IT team to routinely provide training and education to always keep cybersecurity at the forefront.
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Do You Need More Cybersecurity Tips?
To fully assess your law firm’s vulnerability, hire an expert team of IT professionals. GoKallIT is committed to your firm’s safety and productivity. We offer remote IT services catered to your firm’s needs with the best user experience available. Contact us today to learn more about what you can do with your IT!
