Do you think your legal practice is secure? You might be wrong. It is important to understand data security and how law office software keeps your information safe.
Law offices of any size have to make protection of sensitive client data a priority. Today that means protecting against electronic attacks such as hackers and malware. An article in The National Law Review entitled Six Myths about Data Privacy and Security that Professional Employer Organizations Should Skip brings up some valid points about data security. We want to look at three of the myths listed and explain how CosmoLex legal office management software helps protect your law practice.
We are too small to be a target – As a small or solo law firm, you might think you are beneath the notice of hackers. In reality, data thieves know that small firms might handle large clients who are juicy targets. Even a micro-practice can have access to valuable data ranging from financial information in divorce to corporate secrets in a commercial bankruptcy. Small firms also might handle millions of dollars in trust monies, since trust software for attorneys makes it easy for one attorney to administer multiple accounts. Small law offices may in fact be more likely targets than large firms, since they typically have weaker data security. CosmoLex protects your practice management information with the same security technology used by major banking systems.
It’s enough that our handbook’s privacy policy requires strong passwords – Strong passwords are only one part of a comprehensive security policy. Your state may require you to have a WISP (Written Information Security Program) that not only sets policies but assesses the threats to your systems. Even if your state doesn’t require it, having a WISP in place allows you to guard client data more effectively and, in the case of a breach, shows your intent and could protect you against a lawsuit.
Our IT Department is on top of this – Small law firms often don’t have IT departments. They depend on canned software solutions and “I read something on the internet” security training. They can’t afford even general IT services much less specialized data security consulting. However when you use a cloud-based solution like CosmoLex, data security is one of the many benefits. Your information is stored in a professionally managed data center that includes the latest in digital and physical security to protect against intrusion, malware, data loss and other potential threats to your data.
Don’t ignore the threats that are out there. You have an obligation not only to provide security to your clients, but to understand the technology that can provide that security — or at least work with a partner who does. CosmoLex law office software gives you access to technologies and expertise that would have been out of the reach of a small firm even a few years ago. Add CosmoLex to your team to give your clients peace of mind.