Law firms may not be thought of the same way as many businesses, but the truth remains that a law firm is a business. With that being said, in order to be a successful business in this day and age, it is important to take advantage of the technological advancements that are constantly taking place. One of the major advancements … Read More
What to Know When Migrating from Yesterday’s Legal Software
Practice management systems come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are very comprehensive software that include a full suite of features (billing, accounting, tasks, and more), while others focus on particular areas of the legal business, like billing or matter management, and sync with various tools to create a complete practice management solution. Law firms may choose one solution … Read More
How often should my firm be backing up its data?
Data is at the center of a law firm’s operations, especially in today’s digital age. It’s critical to have recent backups of information with the risk of natural disasters, data loss or corruption and data breaches. Should an event occur where you need to restore information from a backup, having the most recent data available will make it much easier … Read More
If our law firm is moving to the cloud, is all of the data transferred?
If you’re switching to a cloud-based program or becoming a paperless office, you’ll need to transfer data. Not every piece of data needs to be transferred, especially if it’s inaccurate or irrelevant. However, all necessary data should be transferred and firms need to develop a strategy to make sure it’s all included, like determining what data they have, what they’ll … Read More
How can our firm utilize user-level access rights to protect data?
User-level access rights offer a way to further protect client data. These access rights are permission settings, which can be turned on or off, to allow individuals or groups of people access to particular data sets. Restricting access goes beyond employee trust and is part of limiting exposure, where fewer individuals who have access to particular data reduces the likelihood … Read More
What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?
Meant to be used as a supplement to passwords, two-factor authentication provides increased security to prevent unauthorized access to account logins. Also known as 2FA, this method adds another layer onto the login process to verify the user’s identity. What it does Two-factor authentication is essentially proving that the person who is trying to gain access to an account is … Read More
How can my law firm use integrations?
Integrations connect different software and tools, allowing them to communicate with one another in order to transfer data and streamline workflow. When used properly, they create powerful efficiencies that reduce the amount of manual work law firms need to do. Integrations are the connections between two different software, allowing data to flow from one to the other. This results in … Read More
Where is our data stored with cloud-based programs?
When using cloud-based programs, data is stored on a remote server to be retrieved at the convenience of the user. Whether you’re using Dropbox, Google Drive or your cloud-based practice management program, all of these systems work the same way – allowing you to upload your data and access it through the Internet. While this type of data storage may … Read More
What is hosted cloud?
Hosted cloud is a way to take advantage of some of the benefits of the cloud while still using traditional in-office hardware. When using a hosted cloud system, the setup, software, infrastructure, and security are all maintained by a vendor and hosted on a server located elsewhere. The result is essentially a desktop you can access via the cloud, with … Read More
What encryption do law firms need?
Lawyers have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of their client’s data under four primary ABA rules[1]: Rule 1.1, dealing with competence including that associated with technology Rule 1.4, addressing secure communication Rule 1.6, outlining the duty of confidentiality Rules 5.1-5.3, focusing on lawyer and nonlawyer relationships Individual state bar associations have addressed this as well, … Read More