The only thing certain in life is death and taxes…unless you’re a personal injury attorney, and then you can add a never-ending influx of legal documents to that list. Accordingly, the big question with respect to document management systems for law firms used to be “where am I going to put all this?” But with the growing popularity of cloud-based legal software and its unlimited storage capabilities providing an answer to that question, the focus has now shifted to “how am I going to protect all this?”, instead.
Data breach is the single biggest threat facing your personal injury firm. A lone breach could not only destroy your firm’s reputation, but also its future. Still most people have no idea that their mundane document management policies could be putting their firm at risk…so we’re here to clear up that mess. Here are four ways you handle your documents and (more importantly) four ways you can handle your documents better (aka let’s help you transform your document management practices into secure document management practices):
1. Be cautious when sending documents
This might be the most obvious area for concern—after all, once you hit the send button on that email, you may feel like you’ve lost control over what happens to your legal documents (i.e., it could get into the wrong hands)…but that doesn’t have to be the case. Your firm should be using best-in-class matter management software that allows you to control who can access your documents (and for how long). Further, when sharing documents with clients or third parties, it’s vital that you use a secure cloud-sharing service that employs both encryption technology and requires passwords…just make sure you choose a better password than “1111”.
2. Be cautious when collaborating with colleagues
We’re not telling you to distrust your co-workers (well, maybe Joe in accounting…just kidding Joe!) but it’s vital to stay vigilant when sharing your documents in-house as well. Once again, you should limit your doc access to only those that need to have access (it’s not like everyone in the White House has access to confidential information). It’s also best to use a secure cloud-based case management software that has deep integration with cloud-sharing services and your most-used collaborative legal tech apps, like Microsoft Office Online, so you can keep everything contained in one, safe platform.
3. Be cautious when storing documents
Just because you put your car in the garage, doesn’t mean you can leave the garage door open at all times—after all, that could lead to damage or theft. Similarly, you can’t just leave your clients’ sensitive and confidential info hanging around without any security measures in place. You need a plan for securing your current case files and a plan for archiving your closed ones. Your firm should set clear guidelines for storing your docs… and that starts with using cloud-archival services that are continuously backed up to protect against data loss and meet your personal injury practice’s specific storage needs.
4. Be cautious when accessing your documents
One of the greatest advantages of law’s shift toward mobile technology is that you’re no longer chained to your desk. Forget something on the way to court? No sweat…just pull it up on your laptop or phone. That being said if you’re trying to pull up a document on a foreign device (maybe you forgot your phone at home), you could be exposing your firm to serious cybersecurity risks. As a result, the best way to access your documents on the go is to use a top-notch cloud-based document management software with state-of-the-art security measures like encryption and ways to monitor who has accessed (and shared) your sensitive docs (including detailed time and party info).
And speaking of sharing, we’re giving you access to a free demo of CloudLex, our all-in-one cloud-based personal injury case management software designed to meet all your personal injury needs—especially if those needs include secure and efficient legal document management. Don’t store this offer away…sign up now and let us collaborate on making your documents (and finances) secure.
