Personal injury law firms store a wide array of important data: social security numbers, birthdays, medical information, and more. It’s no wonder they are often the target of cybercriminals. However, this doesn’t mean firms can’t protect themselves. Taking these simple precautions can greatly reduce your firm’s risk of being hacked.
Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are one of the easiest and quickest security precautions you can take. They’re also among the most effective. There is no reason to have a weak password in 2018.
All of your accounts should have strong and unique passwords, but these are especially important:
- Email accounts
- Case and practice management solutions
- Document storage solutions (e.g. Dropbox)
- Password manager applications (e.g. Lastpass)
Use this guide to help you create a strong password for all of your important accounts.
Educate Employees
Many security breaches are caused by employee error. This is bad news, but the good news is employees can be trained to avoid these errors.
Phishing is one of the most common methods used by cybercriminals. These hackers send emails posing as reputable companies or individuals with the intention of gathering important data from you: passwords, credit card numbers, etc. Remember that secure password you’ve made? Don’t give it to anyone unless you’ve confirmed with them in person. It would be a shame for your time spent making it strong to go to waste.
Educate employees to make sure they don’t make these costly mistakes. Even training once a year can make a difference.
Back Up Your Data
Personal injury cases are complex. Imagine if you lost your firm’s after a natural disaster or data breach. How could you recoup your costs, or even know how to contact your clients? Do you have a back up plan?
Back up your data often. Some firms feel comfortable backing up each day, some back up every five minutes. Decide how much data your firm is comfortable losing and back up that often. You should also think about where your backups are stored, especially if you are in an area prone to natural disasters. A backup of your office server stored inside your firm’s server room won’t do you much good if the building floods.
Communicate Securely
If you’re like most lawyers, you are probably communicating with each other and clients through email. While there is a time and place for email, many law firms are now using secure client portals for communication.
Most client portals are encrypted and more secure than most email programs. Use them to send documents, messages, and case updates. As an added bonus, many clients prefer this to using email.
Invest in Secure Case Management Software
Secure legal case management software can help you take many of these precautions. Our security experts recommend finding software that:
- Is HIPAA compliant
- Backs up data often
- Has a secure client portal
- Is programmed in the USA
- Has end-to-end encryption
- Is cloud-based
While a secure case management solution won’t do all the security work for you, it is a great start to a more robust security program for your law firm.
Many of these precautions are quick and easy, but make a big difference in your law firm’s online security. Wouldn’t you rather take a few hours now to ensure your firm’s safety than spend time and money cleaning up a data breach later?
Your clients are counting on you to help them recover after an accident and keep their information safe in the process. Will you exceed their expectations?
CASEpeer is secure case management software designed for personal injury lawyers. From intake to settlement, our robust features help law firms become more proactive and powerful. Our goal is to help your law firm grow. For more security tips, visit our blog.