The 7 Law Firm Cybersecurity Tips You Need to Know

The 7 Law Firm Cybersecurity Tips You Need to Know
The 7 Law Firm Cybersecurity Tips You Need to Know

Security is a hot topic that many speakers are being asked to speak about. Many of us don’t know that much about this topic so when the request comes, we’ve got some homework to do. Your audience is going to be eager to hear what you have to say — the security of their computers is a critical issue for them! Take the time to gather the information that you’ll need and then create a powerful and effective speech that can answer all of your audience’s questions. Let’s take a look at how you could go about getting the information that you would need in order to deliver this type of speech.

Whether your law firm is large or small, cybersecurity needs to be on your list of things to take care of. Law firm cybersecurity is important not only for your company’s protection but for your clients’ protection.

Criminals don’t care who they hurt, and they just want information so they can exploit it and make money. Many small to medium-sized businesses don’t think they could be the target of a cyberattack, but don’t think the size of your business is going to keep you safe.

Many cybercriminals know smaller businesses don’t invest in keeping their information safe, which leaves you wide open to attacks. Continue reading this article to learn what you can do to protect yourself and your clients with these law firm cybersecurity tips.

1. Encryption is Key

Whether you’re sending an email, file or doing another online activity, make sure everything is encrypted. If cybercriminals have to fight with encryption, they are more likely to go pick on someone who is more vulnerable.

Another way encryption can help you is if a device is lost or stolen. Without the proper encryption key, the person that got their hands on the device unlawfully won’t be able to understand the information.

2. Be Aware of Current Threats

A major part of taking care of your cybersecurity is knowing what threatens your security. If you don’t take Atlanta law firm security seriously, you might fall victim to a simple attack that could have been avoided had you known about it.

Here are some of the attacks that you should be paying attention to right now.

  • Malware
  • Phishing
  • Man-in-the-middle
  • Zero-day exploit

Malware is used to describe any type of malicious software. You probably know about viruses and spyware but malware can also include ransomware, worms, and other types of software. Once malware gets inside your computer, it can cause major problems.

3. Build Security Into Your Daily Routine

Don’t implement security measures after an attack but instead, implement security measures into your daily routine so you can avoid an attack — or at least avoid being vulnerable when an attack happens.

Make sure there are screens up in between employees so they can’t see the other person’s password when they type it in, have employee passcodes for specific levels of access and more.

4. Always Upgrade & Update

Upgrading and updating your software will help decrease your system’s vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity experts are checking to find vulnerabilities every day to make sure you’re kept safe. Each time they find something to keep you safe online, they update it and make it available to you for download.

If you don’t update your system, you’re leaving yourself open to vulnerabilities. The longer you leave the update undone, the longer you’re making it easy for threats to attack.

Upgrading your systems as needed is also important. Check with a professional if you need to assess your current systems.

5. Check for Weak Links in 3rd Party Partners

You may think everything is taken care of on your end — and it may well be, but what about 3rd party partners? Could they be the weak link that allows you to be attacked and hacked?

If you’re linking to or using other companies’ software, you should vet their software as deeply as you vet your own. If you have contractors using your network, they need to follow your security measures, as well.

6. Train Your Employees

Ensure all of your employees are trained properly to avoid data breaches. Letting your employees know best practices around cybersecurity and how to use the internet safely can help your company avoid a data breach at your firm.

Give employees instructions on how they are allowed to use social media and web browsers while they are at work. Never think that you’ve trained on the topic enough, continue to train on the topic, and refresh your employees to keep the information top of mind.

One simple slip-up can cost your company money, and its reputation if it’s not taken care of properly.

7. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

While we all need strong passwords, sometimes passwords aren’t enough to do the job. Many people don’t even bother to create strong passwords and still use their pet name or a birthdate thinking no one is going to guess it.

If a hacker steals or cracks anyone’s password, they can hack your system’s back-end. Whenever they hack in, they have access to everything that employee can see and even if they are a low-level employee, that’s too much.

Two-factor authentication allows you to add a second step when people go to log in. You could choose to have people use their fingerprint, a code, a smart card, a digital signature or other secondary methods after entering their password.

While it might seem like an annoyance having an extra step to do each time you and your employees log in to their accounts, it will help your company stay protected and shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Now You’re Brushed Up on Your Law Firm Cybersecurity Knowledge

Now that you know more about law firm cybersecurity, don’t delay in implementing these important tips. Just one cyberattack can cause major problems for your business.