How Law Firms Can Make Cybersecurity a Priority in 2018

Law firms, an obvious target for cybercriminals, have servers holding sensitive data like business’ IP, bank information, medical records, and other personal information. What can they do to make cybersecurity a priority in 2018?

Law firms bear an ethical obligation to keep client data confidential, but while nimble in the courtroom, not all law firms are as adept when it comes to abiding by best security practices. But, lawyers, don’t worry – AlphaRidge is here to help! Here are some of our tips for keeping your legal environment secure:

IoT Policy

The Internet of Things (IoT) exposes your organization to a vast surface area of vulnerabilities. Your firm should have policies for mobile devices like laptops, cellphones, and tablets. If an employee brings in an unsecured laptop that belongs to his/her spouse or a friend and uses it to access your office network, it will introduce your environment to new vulnerabilities. Requiring that employees own the tech that they bring into the office, and enforcing standards of security brings you a step close to limiting your vulnerability. Cameras and other IoT devices should be locked down so that hackers can not penetrate them.

Detection & Response

It’s important that your firm implements measures for detecting and preventing security compromises. Most cybersecurity experts will tell you that no organization is immune, you may have heard “it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when”. If you suspect that you have been compromised, turn off your computer to prevent any further damage and contact your IT. Ensure that you have a response plan in place that takes appropriate users and vendors into consideration, which will help to significantly decrease your potential losses. Also, make sure that your plan is reviewed and updated regularly as security measures are changing continuously.

Proactive Monitoring

Cisco’s 2017 Annual Security Report revealed that 44% of security alerts aren’t investigated, and in 2015 40% of CISO’s interviewed said they did not have system patching programs in place. AlphaRidge ensures that our clients have a system of monitoring and applying system patches and updates for all of your business critical programs, when selecting an MSP or evaluating your internal IT department be sure that they do too.

Employee Training

Two words so many people hate putting together. Employee training, while occasionally tedious, is a crucial part of your environment’s security – here’s our list of 7 Office Cybersecurity Tips to help you get started.

Ask the Experts

Invest in the team that can dedicate the time and have the expertise to help you make the best and most informed technology decisions for your firm. According to LogicForce’s quarterly report, as much as 40% of law firms were unaware of data breaches and as many as 95% were not even in compliance with their own data governance policies. You don’t need to have a massive IT and security budget to have a compliant and effective infrastructure.

Not sure if your systems are secure? Let our team help! Click here to book a meeting with us today.

AlphaRidge is a leading MSP located in NY.  With over 15 years of managed services experience, AlphaRidge experts have solutions for your specific needs. We place the highest value on the protection and privacy of your data, and we maintain transparency to you with every service we provide. Our white glove on-site and remote service is designed to demystify IT and streamline your concerns into rapid solutions, so that you can focus on what you do best. Consider our team, your team.

This blog post, in addition to any posts presented on the AlphaRidge blog are written for informational purposes only, and should not be seen as financial, healthcare, legal, etc advise.