Protecting Your Confidential Law Documents, The Basics of Cybersecurity

With more businesses being targeted by cyber attacks in an attempt to access and steal personal information, it is more important than ever to safeguard your information. Law firms are privy to more personal information than most companies, and as such they are a prime target for hackers looking to steal and utilize personal information for their own nefarious gains.

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Above the Law reports that 13 of the 15 most prestigious law firms in the country have been targeted by a Russian cyber criminal ring called Oleras. This crime ring is systematically attacking elite law firms in an effort to steal personal information from their clients, for the ring’s own financial gain. The information is then held hostage, sold to other sources, and used in other schemes to extort money from the firms’ clients.

These hackers are incredibly savvy and the ring has been working to recruit additional members within the United States. It is now more important than ever for businesses of all sizes and in all industries to safeguard their clients’ and customers’ information.

Hackers generally target those companies with large amounts of data that can then be used to make money or to gain power over another person, but they also target companies they think will be easy marks. Cyber security is incredibly important for all companies, but especially for those businesses like law firms that have troves of personal information that can be potentially damaging to clients if it were to be sold to the public.

There are a few different ways that personal information of clients in any law firm can be protected from hackers.

The first is to have a great antivirus and anti-malware program in place. This is one of the best ways to prevent any information from being stolen. With the right security software in place, companies can prevent malicious software from being installed on their systems.

Viruses and malware can come in on emails, downloads, through pop-up ads and more, and may go unnoticed just long enough for hackers to gain access to the information stored on infected machines. Security software can help prevent these malicious programs from getting into your system in the first place.

Another safeguard is to limit the permissions and access on the machines that are being used. If you store data on servers or hard drives that do not access the internet, for instance, that data is generally much safer than information stored on a personal computer used to access the internet every day. You can also look into storing information in the cloud or in off-site facilities that have safeguards like firewalls in place to keep information safe from hackers.

You should work to update safety precautions routinely, as well as ensure that your systems are monitored and that any suspicious activity is reported and investigated immediately. Your information does not have to be at risk. With the right safeguards in place, you can have a secure system that is nearly impervious to hacking.

Though hacking methods are changing and evolving every day to get around the safeguards companies put in place, you can protect your clients and your documents by ensuring that the anti-virus and anti-malware software on your computers is enabled and up to date. Strong security gives both you and your clients the peace of mind they need to continue using your firm for all their legal matters.

Client Success

The Michaud Group

“I have an offsite assistant, and all of my files (drawer-upon-drawer of them) are now  available. The ability to load documents from the offsite location, and have them [available] for me exactly when I need them is the great benefit of the SaveYourData software,”

The Michaud Group
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