Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.
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Here’s why your firm needs to be in the cloud
If you’re familiar with my column you know that I have been urging lawyers to learn about – and use – technology for over a decade now. I always stress how important it is for lawyers to educate themselves about the technologies available for use in their law practice and to make informed decisions regarding which tools to invest in for the long haul.
The reason it’s so important for lawyers to understand technology is because it has a direct impact on both the practice of law and the business of running a law firm. For example, cloud computing used to be viewed with skepticism and distrust. But no more. Because cloud-based software singlehandedly made it possible for the legal profession and courts to continue to function throughout the pandemic, it’s now a commonplace technology that is used in law firms across the country.
The increased use of cloud-based technology is a positive trend for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that it protects law firms from ransomware attacks. This is because law firm data stored in the cloud is housed on servers located offsite; as a result the servers – and the data stored on them – is protected from ransomware attacks.
These types of cyberattacks occur when bad actors are able to install malware on a law firm’s in-office systems, oftentimes by exploiting a vulnerability caused by a failure to install necessary software updates. When that malware is activated, all data stored on a law firm’s on-premises servers can be locked up and held hostage for ransom. Meanwhile, any and all law firm data stored or backed up in the cloud will be immune from the attack since the data is not stored on the hacked premises-based servers.
So if your law firm isn’t using cloud-based software to house or backup its data, it should be. If you’re still not convinced, perhaps a recently proposed New York Senate Bill will do the trick. In May, Senate Bill S6806A was introduced in the New York State Senate by Senator Diane J. Savino. (Online: ). This bill “prohibits governmental entities, business entities, and health care entities from paying a ransom in the event of a cyber incident or a cyber ransom or ransomware attack.” Presumably the goal is to deter would-be criminals from engaging in ransomeware cyberattacks by removing the incentive: the ransom.
However, the bill has the practical effect of precluding businesses that are victims of a ransomeware attack from complying with the the ransom demands. So, if this bill is enacted and your law firm is a victim of a ransomware attack, any law firm data stored on your firm’s hacked in-office servers will be lost since you will be prohibited from paying the ransom required to get it back. On the other hand, under this same scenario, any firm data stored on the remote cloud-based servers will continue to be accessible, and your inability to pay ransom will be of no consequence.
Notably, three other states are considering similar legislation, but under those bills only taxpayer or state funds will fall under the ransomeware payment ban.
The key takeaways for lawyers are twofold. First, make sure to regularly update any and all premises-based software and enact other cybersecurity measures, including training your employees to detect and avoid phishing and spoofing emails. Second, make sure to store your law firm’s data in the cloud. Not only will your firm enjoy the benefits of 24/7 convenient, secure, and flexible access to law firm information, the data will also be protected from ransomware attacks.
So if your firm isn’t already using cloud-based software, what are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to make this important transition to the cloud.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase law practice management software for small law firms. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at niki.black@mycase.com.