In response to the ever-increasing cyber threats on law firms, “companies are demanding a level of security. Pressure from clients is causing firms to invest and focus on cyber risk. According to the 2016 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, 30.7 percent of all law firms and 62.8 percent of firms of 500 lawyers or more reported that current or potential clients provided them with requirements. Corporate clients are now demanding that law firms have detailed cyber-security plans and prevention tools.” But how can law firms deliver with technology constantly evolving and hackers investing new strategies to break in? The answer is to use managed services. Managed Services offers many benefits to law firms. Here’s a list of some of the benefits.
Enhanced Security
Law firms keep highly confidential data and information on clients and companies. The nature of this highly confidential demands the best of security. And if a breach of that information occurs, lives can be ruined and even the reputation of the law firm can be forever damaged. Plus, law firms don’t have the time to worry about the security of their network and computer systems. Managed providers give 24/7/365 security to law firms by protecting them against viruses, alerting them to suspicious activity and taking immediate, effective action when a breach does occur. Managed service providers use the latest software and applications to keep on top of things.
Technical Expertise
Law firms know the law but not technology, as it is always progressing. There are also constant new complexities, such as Bring Your Own Device to work. It’s these types of things that can affect security and revenue. Law firms need to be able to survive in the dangerous arena of cybersecurity. IT managed providers provide the most technicians with the most technical expertise and skill. The bottom line is that it’s in the best interest of law firms to take advantage of their technical expertise.
Compliance with Government Regulations
Client information is protected by law. For example, HIPAA has many strict records protecting patient medical records. If the laws aren’t followed, there can be both stiff fines and penalties for law firms. Hardware and software may be exposed to hackers just because the in-house IT team is behind with updates. Managed providers keep everything updated and in compliance with continually changing government regulations.
Easy and Fast Accessibility
Managed providers give attorneys and law firms easy and fast accessibility to files anytime and anywhere. It’s not uncommon for a lawyer to be in court and suddenly realize they need information from an important document that they didn’t bring along. With managed IT services, attorneys can have all of their files stored in the cloud and retrieve them on-demand from any carried device.
Coordination Between Multiple Sites
Most law firms operate a business from more than one location. With IT managed services, law firms can bring uniformity and the necessary coordination to function multiple sites. Most law firms don’t have the capability or the monies to do that. Plus, managed services can give security and lower the risk of network problems when doing this.
24/7/365 Monitoring
With managed services, there’s always someone at the helm. Managed services can help ensure a surefire way to control and avoid security breaches and hacker attacks all the time. This is something that companies cannot afford to do on its own, as it requires 24/7 labor and a significant investment in hardware and software. It’s helpful for all law firms, especially the smaller ones.
Manages Growth
Managed services are a necessity for business continuity and for revenue growth. When all law firms required a few printers, a fax machine and a couple of computers, managing growth was easy. There were no hackers way back trying to hack into computers. But today, there are many software packages, servers, and desktops required to run and grow a law firm. With a managed service provider, law firms are privy to the latest technologies in order to manage, monitor and grow their business.
Lower Operating Costs
There are many disadvantages with an in-house staff. The break and fix strategy is not a practical one for law firms with sensitive networks. In the long run, it actually costs more due to the fact that law firms lose productivity and money if there is a breakdown. The IT techs at a managed service IT provider fix a disaster as soon as it happens, which minimizes downtime. There’s no price tag one can put on a peace of mind.
All around, law firms should not ignore the many benefits of managed services. If you’d like to learn more about how to protect your law firm against cyber attack, contact Alliance Technology Partners in Chesterfield at (314) 391-9888 or email at info@alliancetechpartners.com. They are always happy to answer any questions that you may have.
