As a law firm, you work with confidential information all the time. Everything that is said between you and your client stays between you and your client. While much of this is word of mouth, you and your staff likely have extensive records and research stored on computers. However, whether you store the data on local hard drives or in the cloud, it is critical you do everything in your power to keep this information protected. That is where law firm data security comes in.
Small businesses are at constant threat of phishing scams and data siphoning from outside sources. In the event of a data leak, this confidential information might make it out onto the Internet. Or even worse, into the hands of others who may attempt to extort your firm or your clients. Whatever happens on the back end it puts your firm directly in the crosshairs of all kinds of problems. Not to mention, future clients will likely look elsewhere. They won’t want to work with a firm that has leaky data services. To avoid these kinds of issues you need to invest in an MSP.
Here are a handful of reasons why your law firm data security is better off in the hands of a managed IT service provider.
Security Audit
When was the last time you took a full invoice of your network security? Maybe when you signed up for the cloud service provider? Perhaps when you installed the last computer update handed down to you by your operating system? This leaves you exposed to potential threats, and your network security is only as strong as the weakest link. With a managed IT service provider such as Charlotte IT Solutions, your entire network is regularly audited. This way, the MSP can identify threats faster. It is far better to identify a problem before the problem comes to you.
Real-Time Monitoring
An MSP is able to perform real-time monitoring over your network. There will be times when unusual amounts of traffic around your network spike. This can be a red flag for potential threats. However, your network may not function any differently, so your team on the inside will have no idea there’s a simmering threat on the outside. Like a king in his castle, if he doesn’t have a view of what is behind the walls he won’t know there’s an imminent attack.
With an MSP, there is real-time monitoring, which can help pinpoint when there might be a spike in network activity. It might be nothing, or there might be a small hole in the firewall and other protective measures around your network. With the help of real-time monitoring, the MSP can then move in and provide the necessary improvements and deterrents to keep you and your network safe from outside threats. This is something you simply wouldn’t have the ability to do without an IT professional always at your disposal.
Support Is Always Available
Along with real-time monitoring, you will at times need real-time support. Without an MSP if there is a problem with your network security or you’re running into some kind of issue you’ll be stuck attempting to troubleshoot the problem on your own. Even if the issue is minimal this can take hours out of your day. And, as a busy law firm, these are hours you just don’t have to waste. It can be pretty frustrating to have your entire network locked down for what turns out to be a very small issue.
With the help of an MSP like Charlotte IT Solutions, you’ll have real-time support. So if you’re struggling with something, have run into some kind of problem, or just need some basic help, all you need to do is pick up the phone and call. The MSP will either be right there or walk you through the method of correcting the issue remotely. They can also check the network through their own software to see what is going on. The staff can then make the necessary corrections or upgrades on their end. All of this will help save you a significant amount of time, which in turn will help save you money as well.
Disaster Recovery
While nobody likes to think of a worst-case situation, it is essential to plan for it. You never know when your entire network might crash or when all local storage drives are fried. A major electrical storm can cause more damage with a single bolt of lightning than just about anything else if you are not prepared for complete data loss. If your hard drives are ever fried, corrupted, or there is a problem with your cloud service provider, you will need to have access to all of your files via a different method. This is where your backup and disaster recovery comes in. An MSP will work with your law firm data security to make sure everything you have is regularly backed up and stored via another method. This way, if the worst-case situation does play out, you’ll still have access to all of your files and records.
Protect Your Firm And Your Clients
You do everything in your power to fight for your clients, to make sure they are properly represented, and receive the highest quality legal counsel around. However, all of this is for not if you have a data security breach and confidential records are lost online. Once anything is lost online it is nearly impossible to expunge the information from the depths of the world wide web. To avoid these kinds of catastrophic situations it is critical to turn your law firm data security over to an MSP.
Charlotte IT Solutions is here to help you with exactly that. No matter what kind of law you specialize in or how large your firm is, when it comes to law firm data security, now is the time to turn to the professionals. Charlotte IT Solutions is just a phone call away and is ready to help safeguard you and your clients.