According to a Poneman Institute study, organizations are still struggling to improve IT security’s ability to respond to a data breach. Legal firms hold an abundance of sensitive information putting them at a large risk of having their confidential data compromised. So what can your legal firm to do address and prevent this risk? Here are a few ways.
1. Create Comprehensive Policies
A comprehensive security policy covers the rules and responsibilities of those at all levels of your organization. It should address what to do in an event of a breach, the process for dealing with these potential events, and how the organization can mitigate these types of incidents.
2. Implement the Policy at All Levels
Once new security measures are created and reviewed they should be implemented across all levels of the organization and thoroughly documented. Your security policies should be thought of as living, breathing documents, that are subject to change based on your firm's evolving security needs and the current security landscape. Listening to your employees and making amendments to your plan based on their feedback is key to ensuring that the plan not only works well but is adhered to by staff. Remember, all changes to your security plan must be documented thoroughly.
3. Choose the Right Software
Your legal firm should be utilizing software that has security features baked in. For example, the software you choose to use should allow you to set permission levels for your staff. Privileged Access Management ensures that only staff who need access to certain files can access them and allows management to edit permissions at the click of a mouse. These additional security features help prevent security breaches and conflicts of interest within your firm.
4. Put Your Security in The Hands of Experts
Security is a specialized area of IT. Your on-site tech experts may find it challenging to complete security tasks while also maintaining your firm’s IT infrastructure, as a result, other important tasks may be placed on the backburner, putting your organization at risk of hackers. True security is much more than a full-time job as it requires implementing and updating security policies as well as monitoring and mitigating risk factors. With the ever-evolving threat landscape, IT staff must also stay on top of changing threats and new technologies. These tasks are not suitable to add to someone’s already full list of obligations. Hiring a managed service provider that specializes in security is the best approach to ensuring your client's legal data is secure. For help choosing a managed service provider read here. 