How to Protect Law Firm Data from Hack Attacks
As high-profile hack attacks on the computer systems of major retailers make headlines, law firms and their corporate clients are putting a renewed focus on potential Internet security issues.
Some relatively simple safety measures can make a significant difference, Lawyers USA reports in an article reprinted by <aDolan Media Newswires.
Among them: Make sure clients are informed and agree in advance to planned online use of their confidential information. Also, although having a single password for multiple applications is convenient, using multiple passwords provides better security, the article recommends. The safest passwords contain a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
When bringing in a vendor to work on a computer system, use a company that routinely works with law firms (or with medical facilities, which have a similar need to protect confidential data), says partner Bryan Sims of Thompson, Rosenthal & Watts in Naperville, Ill., who authors the Connected Lawyer blog.
“You want to pick a vendor that is more aware of the confidentiality and privilege issues that are found in the legal world,” Sims tells the legal publication. “Make sure you know what they are doing with information and what level of security they are using. All of this should be spelled out in your terms of service agreement.”
For more suggestions, read the full article.
Earlier related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Alleged Mastermind in Biggest-Ever ID-Theft Prosecution Faces 2 Other Cases”
ABAJournal.com: “Law Firm’s ‘Boy Wonder’ Took $30M, But Exactly Why Still Isn’t Clear”
