Protect Your Attorney-Client Privilege
Safe. Secure. Compliant.
The prime currency of an attorney-client relationship is confidentiality. Recognizing this fact, even small to mid-sized legal firms are reviewing their technology for collecting, storing, transmitting and working on client information.
Digital communication is efficient, accurate and reliable. However, it is also vulnerable to hackers and other third parties. Half the law firms in the US experienced a data breach, virus or malware infection last year. The issues are so serious the American Bar Association (ABA) initiated a three-year Commission on Ethic 20/20 to consider and make recommendations for the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct in the context of technological advances and globalization.
IT Challenges for Legal Services
Legal services are particularly vulnerable to security breaches given the volume and detail of information in just one case file and how much of it is transmitted by email. Also, more telephone systems including conference calls are now provided through the internet.
Technology
Typical vulnerabilities in the IT system of a law firm are:
- Weak password/login access to corporate system and individual files
- Multi-user access to files from other lawyers, paralegals and admin
- Lack of firewalls
- Inadequate backup and recovery systems in the event of a breach or a power outage
- Use of mobile devices to access and work on corporate systems and specific client files
- Interface of email, shared files and voice messaging systems
Personnel
Specifically, there are issues around:
- Lawyers not understanding the pitfalls of the technology they use everyday
- Lawyers not knowing how to develop a secure communication strategy with a client based on:
- Sensitivity of information
- Urgency of communication
- Consequences of an unintentional breach of security
- Client instructions and concerns
- Assessment of need to access info by other key stakeholders
- Human error and carelessness
Digital6 Technologies Solutions
As a provider of legal services, you must understand that ABA Rules and state regulations are important. But the real focus is confidential client service. Our Digital6 specialists can work with you to provide a full service, secure, office in the cloud by:
- Reviewing your business processes
- Conducting risk assessment of IT systems for file management, data privacy and security
- Recommending a customized Microsoft Office 365 product to meet your needs with advanced mobility, accessibility and encryption
- Identifying policies and procedures and training necessary to support lawyers and other staff in protecting client data
Digital6 Technologies specializes in complete cloud coverage. We can customize Microsoft Office 365, implement a Microsoft Azure cloud platform or Amazon Web Services, whatever works best for your unique legal service.