Running a solo practice is more than just practicing law—you are also running a business.
Unlike most businesses, most solo attorneys do everything on their own: from IT support, to managing finances, and dealing with clients (customers).
That means when something goes wrong you have to deal with it and you have to fix it.
But if you plan for an emergency in advance, it will be much easier to overcome. Keep Reading ⇒
Many attorneys, especially solo attorneys, use Dropbox to run a paperless law office.
Many skeptics and critics, however, contend that cloud storage/file sync is not safe.
Whether you use Dropbox, or are considering using it, here are some ways to enhance data security with Dropbox.
This is a world you’ll never understand. And you always fear what you don’t understand. — Carmine Falcone, in Batman Begins
A: Yes, essentially. And fine under the ethics rules. Most of what you may have heard to the contrary comes from people who don’t understand the cloud — so they fear it.
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice calls law firms “the soft underbelly of American cyber security.” And he is right. If you consider the sensitive nature of the information on most lawyers’ computers, plus the proud Luddites making technology decisions at most law firms, this should come as no surprise.
I know plenty of lawyers who can barely set up their email, much less encrypt their hard drives. More than a few law firms continue to fall for lame 419 scams. I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few partners using their CD tray for a cup holder. Compromising the systems of lawyers like this is child’s play for hackers who can remotely. compromise a mobile phone with a single misplaced click.
These days, everyone’s worried about online security, whether it’s websites that track your browsing habits, hackers phishing for your passwords, or insecure public wifi hotspots.
Fortunately there are ways to protect yourself during your Internet travels by using online tools such as browser extensions. Browser extensions are simply apps that you add on to your browser to alter your online browsing experience. And, some of these extensions can be quite useful, including those that help to ensure that you have a safer, more secure online web experience.
There are 5 web extensions that regularly use and would highly recommend. It just takes a second to add them to your browser and the time spent is well worth since they will make your online experience both enjoyable and more secure.
Want to know what your state thinks about cloud computing? Thanks to Nicole Black’s post in the LAB, here is the ABA’s handy reference chart so you can see what your state’s ethics board thinks about cloud computing.
Currently, by the way, lawyers in all 50 states may use the cloud. Ethics boards in 13 states seem to have specifically considered the issue, and all say it’s fine to use the cloud as long as you use “reasonable care” in selecting services — as with pretty much everything else on the business end of law practice.
I don’t really know why lawyers are so freaked out about the cloud. Everyone seems to assume there must be some big ethics issues with using cloud software, even if the security of any reputable cloud-based software is light-years ahead of the security most solo and small firms are capable of.
The following is an excerpt from Cloud Computing for Lawyers, Chapter 5: Privacy Laws and Security Considerations.
Although absolute security is impossible, and no law firm can be expected to achieve it, lawyers must take reasonable steps to ensure that their client’s data is securely stored and remains confidential. The best way to accomplish that is to learn as much as possible about the way your data will be handled by the cloud-computing provider because the security of your firm’s data is of paramount concern. Ask the right questions, ensure that you are satisfied with your vendor’s responses, and negotiate an agreement that protects both your interests and your client’s data.
Provided below is a list of the questions to ask any cloud-computing provider (this list is not exhaustive):
The Verge recently walked through the available backup options and comes to the same conclusion I have on numerous occasions: you can’t beat CrashPlan for both local backup to an external hard drive and remote backup to CrashPlan’s locked-down cloud.
Most solo attorneys are their own IT departments, which means they are responsible for their own data security.
Along with better passwords and backups, here are some additional ways to keep things locked down.
Despite the constant urge to use the latest and greatest technology, many lawyers overlook technology basics such as security and creating backups.
Here are some easy steps to help protect your computers and the information on them.
The original content within this website is © 2007–2013 Lawyerist Media, LLC.
![Nominate the Best Law Firm Websites (2013 Edition) [UPDATED]](http://lawyerist.com/lawyerist/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/timthumb.php?src=http://lawyerist.com/lawyerist/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/best-law-firm-websites-nominations-2013.jpg&h=90&w=90)
