The cloud is a hot topic in the legal industry. Is it safe for law firms? Is it secure enough to store sensitive data? Is it a good way to scale up your firm’s infrastructure requirements? These are major concerns for many law firms today. In this article, we’ll be answering all these questions and more as we discuss how cloud computing and Forum Info-Tech can help you with your legal business.
What is the cloud?
The cloud is a network of servers that are typically hosted on the Internet. It allows you to store your law firm’s data in one place without having to run physical servers in your office, saving money while scaling up infrastructure requirements when necessary.
The server is in a secure location, which ensures that your data will be protected. You can access this information from anywhere with an Internet connection by logging into your account on any device (desktop/laptop computer, tablet, or phone).
While this is certainly a benefit, many law firms are concerned about the security of their data. Is it safe for them to store sensitive information in the cloud?
Absolutely! The servers storing your firm’s data and running its applications will be hosted by dedicated server providers with state-of-the-art facilities that feature cutting-edge security measures.
For example, some providers offer physical access controls to all of their facilities while others employ video surveillance and biometric verification systems for further protection. Furthermore, they provide regular backups in order to ensure that your firm’s data is always safe.
Why should law firms use the cloud?
It’s no secret that law firms are embracing the cloud. They have a lot to lose and much at stake, but still want to stay ahead of their competition by adopting new technologies as they evolve into an industry leader rather than being left behind in this latest wave of business innovation trend.
From hardware failure due to accidents like fires, lockdowns during natural disasters such as floods leaving employees without access for long periods of time, and the planned obsolescence of hardware, staying offline is now one of the biggest risks to a business.
Second, you can start small by moving your email server to a managed service or even just using a SaaS application for collaboration purposes before migrating all applications to the cloud.
Finally, cloud computing allows you to scale up your infrastructure requirements when necessary. It is much more affordable than purchasing physical servers and maintaining them in-house.
How can law firms make their data safe in the cloud
While the cloud is certainly secure, you need to address your firm’s security concerns before moving any data into the cloud. First and foremost, be sure that all applications are running on servers with state-of-the-art facilities behind a strong firewall.
Secondly, make sure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information like passwords. You can accomplish this by using an authentication solution that secures a firm’s data against unauthorized access.
Finally, you should consider using a SaaS application for your email server and other applications in order to keep track of all activity on the account so security breaches or system malfunctions are much easier to detect before they wreak havoc on your practice.
Is cloud computing a good way to scale up your firm’s infrastructure requirements?
Yes, cloud computing is an excellent way to scale up your infrastructure requirements. You can start small by moving your email server to a managed service or even just using a SaaS application for collaboration purposes before migrating all applications into the cloud. The cloud is also useful for keeping track of all activity on the account so security breaches or system malfunctions are much easier to detect before they wreak havoc on your practice.
As your firm grows, your private cloud server and service can easily match, in some cases, with the click of a button. Additionally, the inverse is true; if your firm gets smaller, so do the computational needs of it.
Is the cloud safe for law firms?
One of the biggest concerns our legal clients have is whether or not a private cloud is safe for their firm. In our 15 years of working with law firms and moving them to the cloud, we have yet to have a data breach. With a private cloud environment, all necessary preventative measures like a powerful firewall and proper data encryption all do their part in order to prevent cyber attacks like ransomware.
The benefits of using the cloud for your law firm
The benefits of using the cloud for your law firm are plentiful. By storing, sharing, and accessing your data in the cloud, you’ll have 24/7 access to all of your files from anywhere with an internet connection. You can also back up any important information to the cloud so you never lose it again. We’ll look at a few primary benefits your firm can look forward to.
Cost savings
As previously stated in this article, one of the biggest benefits of moving your law firm to the cloud is cost savings. Not only will you spend less on staff, but also hardware. A fully managed service offered by Forum Info-Tech not only maintains your private cloud server but also staffs a helpdesk that helps your firm at any time.
Also, your hardware cost savings will be immense. With the advent of planned obsolescence as well as your firm’s growth needs, hardware will be less of a worry for your firm. In some cases, with one phone call, you can upgrade your server’s power or storage space to fit your new requirements.
Security
Security is one of the biggest concerns a law firm has before moving its data to the cloud. If your servers aren’t onsite, how can you be sure that they’re being properly protected? Additionally, if you can access your data from any device, what’s stopping a cybercriminal from doing the same?
The biggest thing to consider is that your cloud provider’s core business model is keeping your data secure and in compliance. There’s a full-time team on staff that monitor’s servers at all times for any irregularities.
Additionally, one of the biggest data problems that face legal firms (and no one’s talking about) is internal data theft. With certain monitoring processes set in place, we can look into who’s downloading what and why.
Collaboration
With all of your data accessible in the cloud, your firm won’t fall victim to outdated files and wrong revision versions being sent. If your firm has remote members, they can collaborate in real-time on cases. Working from the same document simultaneously can improve productivity by an uncalculatable amount.
