Law firm hacking is common. While you might hear more often of large enterprise law firms being hacked, firms of all sizes are at risk.
How attorneys choose to store their sensitive information is key to preventing a data breach.
Most security experts agree, keeping your information in a password-protected case management system is more secure than paper files.
Taking your firm into the cloud does not inherently mean exposing your practice to hacking. Choose a case management software that prioritizes your law firm’s cybersecurity in addition to improving efficiency.
Why Law Firms Are Getting Hacked
There are several reasons hackers are targeting law firms, including:
- Many law firms haven’t taken basic cybersecurity precautions
- Law firms store and share sensitive data like social security numbers
- Law firms make money and may have credit card information on file
Secure cloud-based case management solutions like CASEpeer understand the risks posed by cybercriminals and do their best to ensure the safety of your law firm’s data.
While no case management software can completely eliminate all security risks, there are many advantages to choosing a secure practice management solution.
How Secure Legal Software Helps Protect Your Data
Many people have a “sense” that the cloud is vulnerable. In reality, cloud solutions are just as secure – often more secure – than server-based solutions. In fact, “the cloud” is just a bunch of servers linked to each other to avoid data loss.
Cloud providers are security experts. Cloud providers take significant measures to protect their servers including concrete infrastructure, extensive password locks, and 24-hour security.
Whereas law firms might have one or two IT employees, a cloud provider’s mission is to protect your data. At CASEpeer, we work with Amazon Web Services to host law firms’ data with one of the most secure and respected cloud providers today.
Automatic Data Backups
Data backups are essential for law firms. In the case of data loss, your firm has to go back to the last saved version. Do you know how often your files are being backed up? If it was a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago, how long will it take you to fill in the gaps?
Law firms are busy, and any downtime is frustrating for both you and your clients. Case management solutions like CASEpeer back up your data every five minutes, so in the unlikely case of data loss, there is little to miss.
Software Made (and Hosted) in the USA
Many tech companies outsource their work to other countries. Outsourcing is much less expensive, and many outsourced programmers do good work. However, cheap labor often comes at a higher price. Some countries are notorious for creating “backdoors” for hackers to enter after the product is finished.
For your law firm, this means your data could be compromised through no fault of your own, but because your provider failed to ensure the security of their product.
CASEpeer is made completely in the United States. We never store your data outside of the US, either. Your security is our priority.
Why Not Use Paper Files?
You might reason, “if the Internet is so unsafe, I might as well keep everything locked up in paper files.”
Yes, keeping everything on paper will eliminate cybersecurity risks, but it won’t protect you from robbery or natural disasters. If your law firm went up in flames tomorrow, would all your paper files be protected? If an employee left a case file on his or her desk overnight, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t be stolen.
Besides the risks of keeping paper files, the inefficiencies created by them also deter many modern law firms from continuing to operate a completely paper-reliant office.
If security is a priority to you, look for these qualities in your case management software. Secure case management software like CASEpeer will help keep your law firm safe from cybercriminals while improving the efficiency of your firm.
CASEpeer is secure case management software designed for personal injury attorneys. From intake to settlement, our robust features help law firms become more proactive and powerful. Our goal is to help attorneys grow their business. For more security and practice management tips, visit our blog.