P2P

31 I L T A N E T . O R G online threats and are frequently targeted by an attacker as they can provide complete access to your resources and confidential information stored within. Future Security Technology Investments When it comes to upgrading or investing in new technology for your firm, keeping the pandemic experience in mind will come in handy. For instance, remember the difficulty in getting workstations to your employees? Consider the use of thin-client solutions with cloud-connected desktops. In addition to these devices generally being more secure, they also provide greater mobility for your users. At a basic level, ensure every device with access to company data is secured with encryption, strong passwords, and a modern anti-virus solution. If possible, enable 2-factor authentication wherever supported. Behavioral Solutions The COVID-19 crisis has led to more information technology-related scams than any other event over the past 10 years. Obviously, technology can only do so much. As cyber criminals increasingly rely on sophisticated social engineering practices to exploit users, law firms' best defense is an educated and engaged workforce. While security solutions should be a part of your overall security posture, they can only go so far. People are still capable of assessing most situations better than many of the best security software products available. Now is the time to revisit and revise your firm's security best practices. Provide your users with security awareness training in the form of online or in-person training. Most threats, such as clicking suspicious links or downloading malicious attachments, can often be avoided entirely by having an informed and empowered user community at your organization. The lessons learned can be extended to their personal devices as well, further increasing the effectiveness of such training. Have a comprehensive and updated information security policy which employees must agree to. This should include limitations on the sharing of passwords, information and data both internally and externally. Hybrid Workstyles Require Flexible Security As the most recent ILTA Technology Survey and American Bar Association survey of post-pandemic law practices showed, remote working will remain a common working style for legal professionals after many other industries have returned to the office. Maintaining a workforce based both in-office and at-home will require rethinking and investing in technology that can be secured both on-site and for remote workers. But technology won't solve every weakness. Revisiting and emphasizing your firm's security awareness training will give your users the tools to protect themselves professionally and personally. ILTA Greg Russo is a Senior Systems Engineer at Innovative Computing Systems, Inc. He may be contacted at grusso@innovativecomp.com.

• Cover