publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/306297
worse, can result if those items are sent to clients or courts directly from the tablet. If a component of your mobile enterprise content strategy is to encourage content editing and creation, assess the risks associated with each type of content for which you will enable creation and determine how to ensure the quality of that content. Our firm's policy is that content created or revised on a tablet is not to be sent to a client, court or other external recipient until a secretary or document processor has reviewed it for accuracy and formatting in the native application. Although it might not be possible to enforce such a policy rigidly, continual education on the potential problems can reduce the risk of disseminating "bad" content. 6. IMPLEMENT SERVER-BASED METADATA CLEANSING Most firms force metadata cleansing of Office and PDF documents when emailed externally, and the majority of firms use client-based software that connects into Outlook. Providing mobile access to content on email-enabled devices can circumvent the protections put in place and have serious implications for clients if users send documents with sensitive metadata and revision history not handled properly. If you have been considering a move to a server-based metadata cleansing tool, your mobile EC strategy could accelerate the decision. If that transition has not been on your technology timeline, consider it as a component of your mobile strategy. Key vendors in the legal space offer server-based metadata tools, and their recent development efforts have focused on making them flexible to meet the needs of mobile users. 7. LEARN WHAT YOUR CLIENTS REQUIRE Because of their compliance and regulatory obligations, clients are becoming more actively involved with overseeing how firms handle and control data related to their matters. It is common for client engagement documents to require specific security procedures, including those related to access, retention,and protection of data on mobile devices. Some policies limit data access only via mobile devices owned and closely managed by the firm; others might allow data on personal, bring-your-own (BYO) devices, provided the firm has a method to secure data on the device if it is compromised or the employee leaves. It is very helpful to develop a matrix of your clients' policies so you can offer different levels of access based on the associated client (and educate your users regarding client requirements). As you develop your matrix, you might encounter some clients that prohibit the storage of specific types of content on mobile devices. You will have to revise your business goals to remove any that incorporate such content or determine how to segregate securely those clients' matters from your mobile initiatives. Some vendors are beginning to upgrade their apps to limit content exposure at the matter level. Your matrix will help you assess how important that feature is to your firm. Understanding your clients' requirements also provides support when explaining why you are unable to provide access to specific content. By clarifying the decision is controlled by the client and that you otherwise could provide access, you and your systems will not be viewed as outdated or "falling behind." 8. ESTABLISH THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF MOBILE SECURITY FOR YOUR FIRM As with any technical initiative at your firm, security is a primary concern when providing mobile access to your enterprise content. Extensive information is available on the topic, both generally and regarding securing your enterprise content. Security was not listed among the initial tactics for your enterprise ILTA WHITE PAPER: APRIL 2014 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 26 10 STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE MOBILE ENTERPRISE CONTENT STRATEGY Many of the primary ECM vendors have improved the ability of their mobile apps to provide audit trails.