Information Security For Lawyers

1/11/2014

Information Security For Lawyers

Be aware of the data you are responsible for

Lawyers deal with a vast amount of confidential information on a daily basis. Client contact information, social security information, financial records, contracts, case details, photos, sensitive law firm data and much more- it all must be protected securely and backed up to prevent data theft or loss. And only keep the data you need. Unnecessary confidential data stored in your accounts can be a costly risk. All unneeded data should be disposed of using proper methods according to disposal laws.

Account Verification Methods

Account verification methods are the features that protect your account from unauthorized access. Here is a look at some of the most popular verification methods that are used to protect online accounts.

Passwords: Passwords are the most common form of account verification and protection. A weak password can be the cause of an unauthorized breach of access which can lead to data loss or theft. Even a strong password can be cracked, as the password cracking methods hackers use have become much more sophisticated. A strong password should use a mix of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers and special characters.
Design: Design verification is typically a method in which users create a design by connecting dots. Any time the correct design is drawn on the screen, access will be given to the account. A backup password is typically required (in case the user forgets their design), so that password should be an extremely strong password that cannot be guessed or easily cracked.
Fingerprint Scanning: Fingerprint scanning is a fairly new technology that is currently in the stages of becoming popular. However, it can also be bypassed with a backup password, so be sure to create a secure backup password or the fingerprint scan becomes nothing but a novelty feature.
Two-step Verification: This is an extremely useful feature that helps prevent unauthorized account access. If anyone attempts to login to one of your online accounts, a code will be sent to your mobile device. This code must be entered before account access will be granted. So if any malicious user get hold of your password, they must also have access to your mobile device in order to gain access to the account.

Mobile Security

Mobile devices are vulnerable in several different ways. They can be lost or stolen, they can be hacked, they can be used to gain access to online accounts, and much more. Login verification methods should be activated in case the device falls into malicious hands. Other useful security methods include the use of encryption, monitoring third-party apps, securing Bluetooth, using mobile antivirus and firewall features, and implementing features that allow you to lock and wipe data remotely in case the device is lost or stolen. Other remote apps allow users to capture photos remotely, which could potentially give them a good look at the perpetrator that has their mobile device in his possession.

Secure backup

The data that lawyers deal with daily is confidential and must be protected from data theft and data loss. The loss of any of these files can spell disaster for lawyers and the law firm. It can change the outcome of cases, cause problems with taxes and result in lawsuits in some cases. But a solid backup plan can help lawyers avoid these disasters. The cloudHQ backup system is specifically designed to prevent data loss by using replication between cloud services.

If your law firm uses a cloud service to store data- let's say SkyDrive for this example, you can have all of the data replicated from SkyDrive to another cloud service, Box for example. So every time you add files to SkyDrive, they are instantly replicated to Box. And every time a file is revised, these revisions are instantly replicated to Box. And with two-way sync activated, the replication works both ways- SkyDrive to Box and Box to SkyDrive. And if any files get accidentally or maliciously deleted in one cloud service, you can simply login to the other cloud service and have instant access to your data. Restoration of files is simple and fast, and a costly data loss incident is avoided.

The cloudHQ system works with a variety of cloud services, and they are currently offering a free fully-functional 15-day trial for businesses and professionals to test cloudHQ and determine if it is right for their company.

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