Cybercriminals are especially fond of attacking law firms because the latter has a considerable amount of sensitive information about clients and the industry. This article will explain how to create a reliable information system for such companies.
Cloud technologies for law firms: safety above all
Law firms’ total security costs are among the highest. Law firms compete with telecommunications companies when it comes to spending on IT security. The good news is that law firms are interested in countering cyberattacks and their potential consequences. The bad news is that most are exposed to the standard security risks and show efforts to stay safe from the common threats. Approximately 60% of law firms struggle to manage malicious and non-malicious attacks, with significant implications for IT or the entire business.
Law firms are constantly under pressure. It has always been the case, but the pace of change in all aspects of the industry has increased dramatically in the last few years. Firms with clear business goals and a well-thought-out strategy to achieve them thrive. The rest are in a difficult position. Thus, today more than ever in the legal profession’s history, it is essential to have a well-thought-out security plan and use the best modern technologies.
Cloud technologies are no longer an attribute of pioneering hackers. Instead, people, firms, and large corporations are increasingly using such innovations in their work. This is because they are secure, easy to use, always available, and centrally managed. That is why the cloud will soon become indispensable for people of various professions, including lawyers.
First, cloud computing provides a new level of security for sensitive information. If a law firm, by tradition, keeps personal data in paper form or on servers, this does not mean that access to outsiders is prohibited. At the same time, several levels of protection are applied to cloud technologies; there is a clear list of mandatory standards.
Secondly, communication through the “cloud” guarantees complete privacy. While an e-mail box can be hacked without the ability of a genius, Cloud technologies reliably protect correspondence from intrusion by ordinary people and professional hackers (online legal advice is available on the lawyer.ua portal).
How to create a comprehensive information security system for a law business?
The information security system in the law company can be called the immunity of the business. It should work as a single coherent mechanism and cover all levels of information protection: legislative, organizational, software and hardware, physical, moral, and ethical. A synergistic effect is achieved only in the presence of all elements working in a single concept. The absence of flaws in any of these elements makes the entire system vulnerable, which is especially risky during periods of hacker activity.
The basic set of tools that are relevant today for any organization to achieve the complexity of the information security system is as follows:
- IPS/IDS systems that ensure the security of infrastructure and applications from external intrusions, including DDoS attacks;
- WAF (Web Application Firewall) is a web application protection tool for detecting and blocking network attacks;
- centralized antivirus protection at the level of servers and end devices of users, protecting against trojans and encryption viruses;
- corporate mail with spam and virus protection and configured policies that reduce the likelihood of receiving phishing emails and spam mailings;
- virtual workstations (VDI) with two-factor authentication and installed antivirus;
- secure data storage like a virtual data room with secure remote access through the application.