Best Cybersecurity Best Practices to Protect Your Law Firm
Lawyers need to follow cybersecurity best practices due to the sensitivity of the information they handle. It’s also imperative that they comply with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, or other legal standards. By following these 7 cybersecurity best practices, you can help secure client information, mitigate risks, and protect your law firm.
7 Cybersecurity Best Practices to Protect Your Law Firm
Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Your first line of defense against a data breach is protecting your systems with strong passwords. According to Microsoft, the strongest passwords are 14 or more characters; include a combination of symbols, numbers, and capital and lowercase letters; and are different from previously used passwords. It is also recommended that a phrase be used rather than a single word or the name of a person, product, character, or organization.
Use strong, unique passwords for all systems and accounts. Encourage or even require employees company-wide to create strong passwords, keep them secure, and change them often.
You can also implement two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA). This requires users to verify their identity two different ways. This makes it much more difficult for an outsider to impersonate or hack an employee since, in addition to knowing a password, they would also have to have something physical like a phone or fingerprint. Implement MFA, especially for email and case management systems, to add an extra layer of security.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
Encrypt all sensitive client data, both at rest and in transit (e.g., email communications, documents). This essentially means locking data. To unencrypt the information, the user needs a key. If a password is hacked or compromised, encrypted data still can’t be accessed without that key.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can provide secure internet access when working remotely. This is increasingly important as more and more work is done at home or remotely rather than from an office during regular business hours. VPNs protect employees when surfing the internet using the company’s devices by allowing them to access the internet while hiding their IP address and other personal information.
Keep Up with Software Updates
Keep all software (operating systems, legal apps, security tools) up-to-date with the latest patches. Regularly update antivirus and antimalware software to protect against evolving threats.
Computer software quickly becomes outdated. New discoveries and advancements are constant. As technology evolves, so do ways to abuse it. Running the most up-to-date software helps avoid bugs and flaws that might leave you vulnerable to a breach, leak, or attack.
Secure Client Files and Systems
Use firewalls and intrusion detection systems to protect your network. Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure only authorized personnel access client data.
Regularly backup client files to secure, offsite storage and ensure that backup data is encrypted. If a system fails or computers are lost, stolen, or damaged, having one or two backups of that data can protect you from technical issues. This also saves you time and money spent having to try to recover or reacquire certain information.
Implement Secure Email Practices
Avoid sharing sensitive information over unencrypted emails. Use encrypted email services or secure file-sharing platforms for confidential communications. And be cautious of phishing attacks! Avoid clicking on unknown links or opening suspicious attachments.
Ensure Device, Cloud, and Physical Security
Ensure all devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) used to access client information are secure. Implement remote wipe capabilities in case devices are lost or stolen. Install strong anti-virus and anti-malware programs on all devices.
If using cloud services, ensure the provider complies with legal industry security standards and implements strong encryption, both in storage and in transit. Review cloud vendor policies for data breaches and response plans.
Limit physical access to servers and sensitive data. Lock workstations when not in use and ensure secure disposal of confidential documents.
Develop Policies, Incident Response Plan, and Training
Establish clear cybersecurity policies for your firm. Regularly train employees on cybersecurity best practices, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding client information. This includes recommending or requiring strong password creation and remaining vigilant about recognizing and avoiding phishing scams.
All parties who handle or have access to company data should agree to abide by a set of policies and procedures regarding data handling, usage, storage, etc. They should furthermore be regularly trained and educated, knowing what actions are allowed, what actions are prohibited, what the consequences are for not complying, and what to do when things go wrong.
It is also a good idea to develop an incident response plan. This will allow you to handle data breaches quickly, efficiently, and professionally. Include steps for notifying clients and authorities.
Regularly review and test the response plan, and make sure that all employees and partners understand and are comfortable with it. Making sure everyone is on the same page can help you rectify an issue smoothly and avoid additional problems.
Industry Solutions for Legal Professionals
In addition to cybersecurity best practices you can implement in your law firm to ensure the safety and security of all of the data you handle, here are some helpful tools you can use to ensure that sensitive data is never compromised:
Reverse Phone Lookup
Reverse phone lookup can help protect you against unknown callers. Use this tool to find out who’s calling: a defendant, potential client, or just a robocall. Identify the people behind text messages, phone calls from spammers, unknown numbers, and telemarketers. Knowing who is on the other end of a call can ensure that you do not disclose sensitive information to the wrong party.
Verify Email Address
Contact information for defendants can be incorrect. Even clients sometimes make mistakes in providing their email addresses, and information can change and become outdated quickly. Find out if an email address is safe for mailing with immediate email address validation, and avoid using incorrect information to contact clients.
Background Check
A background check is an important tool when it comes to making informed hiring decisions. You want to be confident that you can trust the people you work with on a daily basis. And, since attorneys and paralegals work to uphold the law, it’s especially important that you can be confident that all members of your firm are honest and trustworthy.
Conduct a background check to get all the information that people may not give you voluntarily. It’s even a good idea to conduct regular background checks on existing employees to keep up with any changes. Use this quick search to get a list of current and previous addresses and phone numbers for a person. Results typically include names, date of birth, current and previous address, criminal records, reported bankruptcies, and more.
Cybersecurity Best Practices Matter
Although it might seem as though data breaches are something that only happens to other people and never you, it can happen to anyone. Following cybersecurity best practices not only keeps sensitive company data safe. It also protects your law firm.
It’s important to make sure that your client data is complete and up-to-date, too. This helps ensure that information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Be confident that you know who is on the receiving end of your messages and communication.
In a worst case scenario, you want to be seen as a professional who took necessary precautions and quickly recovered. Your reputation is on the line. What will you do to protect it?
