It's another case of law culture lagging behind technology. Lawyers argue fiercely over the sacredness of the attorney-client bond - in court, throughout the discovery process, everywhere. The same passion is tapped in defending/protecting clients' private data, intellectual property, trade secrets. What about in cyberspace? Doesn't it apply to bits and bytes?
Ask yourself: What data do I have on my server, or in my e-mail that is related to my client and is sensitive or requires protection? How do my employees use the Internet, which, if not monitored, can open a myriad of backdoors for potential hackers? It's a simple question and you may come away from this wondering what to do in order to step up to the modern age.
Firms do get hacked. It's plain and simple and the culprits are competitors, hoodlums, whatever. Other than trying to hack someone's priest, a lawyer is the next best outlet for dirty laundry. And law firms have sophisticated electronic means of organizing information in a logical and easy to read manner. The point of all that nicely packaged data is not to put a bow on it for a thief. Firms need to look at what they're spending on other forms of tech management comparatively, assess how part of that budget should be apportioned to security and lock their data down.
