Law firms are always at risk of data breaches because hackers see them as valuable targets. There’s no doubt the confidential business and client information they handle being accessed by the wrong people could compromise cases and reputations.As such, lawyers must uphold their ethical, moral, and legal responsibility by protecting their documents. However, legal document security can be complicated—unless you’re made aware of which steps to take to improve it for your firm. We’re here to help with six law firm data security tips!
Law firms are always at risk of data breaches because hackers see them as valuable targets. There’s no doubt the confidential business and client information they handle being accessed by the wrong people could compromise cases and reputations.As such, lawyers must uphold their ethical, moral, and legal responsibility by protecting their documents. However, legal document security can be complicated—unless you’re made aware of which steps to take to improve it for your firm. We’re here to help with six law firm data security tips!
- Classify Legal Documents By Security Level
If your current file storage system is disorganized, we recommend investing in digital document management to streamline classification. This automated system uses the metadata of your files to organize them, making file retrieval easier. It can therefore help you improve your law firm’s document security management by organizing files based on security levels. This allows you to secure confidential data quickly by applying the same measure to all files as per their classification rather than manually applying these parameters yourself (and risking mistakes). → Read more: How Digital Document Management Improves Organization
- Manage Document Access Permissions
Law firms handle sensitive and confidential information, making effective document permissions crucial for enhancing legal document security. By managing these permissions, you can ensure only those who are authorized have access to certain documents to maintain client confidentiality and prevent unauthorized disclosure. By implementing strict access controls on your documents, you as a law firm can tighten your circle and limit the potential for costly mistakes. Considering how human error is responsible for 88% of data breaches, a legal document management system that provides access controls is an absolute must for law firms.
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- Implement Technical Safeguards
Would-be hackers are always getting wiser and more creative, meaning you should be taking advantage of all the legal document security measures at your disposal. Some straightforward ones that you shouldn’t overlook include:
- Unique Passwords: Ensure devices and accounts with document access are protected by passwords that include letters, numbers, symbols, and more
- Multi-Factor Authentication: Protect sensitive data with multi-factor authentication, which requires several verification factors to access a file
- Data Encryption: Further improve file security with data encryption, which makes them unreadable unless they’ve been encoded with permission
When it comes to law firm document security management, the best approach is to be proactive and protect yourself in as many ways as possible.
- Keep Your Software Updated
Did you know another way to enhance your law firm’s security data management is to keep your devices updated? Not only does lagging behind create an outdated office, but it also puts you at greater risk of a security breach. Computer manufacturers use update patches to ensure your system works smoothly. Updates remove bugs, extend device lifespan, and keep you and your documents one step ahead of would-be hackers. So, with that in mind, ensure you’re keeping your computers up-to-date to better protect the documents you’ve got stored on them.
- Perform Printer Security Audits
Printers are prime targets for data breaches due to unoptimized device settings; this turns them into easy access points that are vulnerable to attacks. Given the amount of printing that happens inside most law firms, this is a serious problem. Employing a print security audit service is therefore a great way to improve law firm document security management. These scan your printers to track firmware updates, identify when password changes are needed, and optimize device settings to provide the best protection possible against a data breach. Don’t let your printer be a weak link! → Read more: Why You Should Be Performing an Annual Printer Audit
- Create Backups for Sensitive Data
When it comes to legal document security, you should always ensure that your valuable documents exist in more than one place. One computer being compromised in a Ransomware attack or breach shouldn’t mean losing a document forever. Whether it’s through legal document management software or a cloud-based server, we highly recommend backing up all your files. No matter how you choose to do it, ensure these legal files and other important documents are backed up with the other security measures we have discussed on this list. Diversification is a file security non-negotiable.
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Integr8 Better Law Firm Document Security Management Into Your Practice
As you’ve just learned, law firms can’t afford to take shortcuts when it comes to legal document security. Fortunately, from managed systems to printer security audits, there are services available that can help improve your file security. Integr8’s managed print services ensure your document management is always one step ahead of would-be intruders, keeping your sensitive information safe and sound. Our solutions are tailored to meet the needs of law firms like yours. Get a quote from us today for better law firm data security!
