According to the American Bar Association (ABA), 29% of law firms experienced a security breach such as hacking, website exploit, among others this year. Also, 36% of legal organizations have had their system infected by viruses, spyware, and malware in 2020.
The consequences of these cyber-attacks resulted in downtime, momentary loss of network as well as website access, and replacement of hardware/software. No wonder cybersecurity is of paramount importance for law firms!
Legal organizations need to ensure that their sensitive data is secure from potential cyber threats. This is where Managed Services Providers (MSPs) can help.
MSPs take a hands-on approach towards security and mitigate cyber-attacks and data breaches seamlessly. They can also help law firms counter other IT issues such as system failure and unresponsive software leading to downtime.
Let’s take a look at the various advantages a legal firm can leverage by hiring a reliable MSP.
Table of Contents
How law firms can benefit by partnering with an MSP
1. Improved Security
As mentioned, MSPs can secure the critical data of law firms by implementing proactive solutions and constantly upgrading their network security. They are well-equipped to control data breaches in real-time. Here are some of the software, services, and tools provided by MSPs that can improve the overall security of legal firms:
1. Remote Monitoring Management (RMM)
MSPs use RMM to secure end-points, networks, and systems of legal firms. An agent, which is a lightweight software, is installed by MSPs on company servers, laptops, and other devices. With the help of this agent, RMM extracts real-time IT security insights from the firm’s network. This, in turn, allows MSPs to monitor the network and identify as well as remediate potential IT issues before they turn into catastrophes.
2. Data Back-Up and Disaster Recovery
The downtime and data loss caused by system outages, server failures, natural calamities, and cyber-attacks can hinder the normal functioning of a legal firm. However, with a reliable MSP, these issues can be easily mitigated. MSPs back-up the critical business data in the redundant cloud and off-site servers. As a result, legal organizations can continue with their daily work even if they are unable to access their on-premise data.
3. Mobile Device Management (MDM)
With MDM, MSPs can monitor, manage, and secure the personal devices of employees. These include tablets, laptops, smartphones, and any other device being used for official work in keeping with the increasing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. It helps MSPs determine which applications can be installed on employee-owned devices. MDM can also remotely secure and wipe sensitive business data from stolen or lost personal devices. In short, MSPs use MDM to help legal firms prevent and counter issues such as data theft and malware infiltration on employees’ devices.
4. Software Updates and Patches
MSPs regularly install system software updates, which come with patches that fix vulnerabilities arising from outdated software.
5. End-Point Encryption
The data passing through the various end-points of a law firm’s network can be encrypted with end-point encryption tools. This helps legal organizations protect their data from unauthorized access attempts at these entry points.
Apart from the above-mentioned cybersecurity services, MSPs also use email security gateway, multi-factor authentication, antivirus, firewall, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies to protect law firms from malicious activities and data breaches.
2. Proper Compliance Maintenance
Legal firms deal with a huge volume of sensitive data such as financial statements, client information, health records, and property documents on a regular basis. Securing all this data is important for achieving regulatory compliance.
MSPs can safeguard law firms from cyber threats and protect the data of clients, stakeholders, and third parties, thereby helping them stay compliant with the latest regulatory compliances.
Also, MSPs work with a team of seasoned IT professionals who have ample knowledge of and expertise in helping law firms stay in line with the ever-changing government regulations.
3. Decreased Costs and Predictable Budgeting
MSPs help reduce the operational cost of law firms by offering them state-of-the-art IT infrastructure. As a result, legal companies need not spend on installing and maintaining expensive hardware/software. As companies get access to skilled IT professionals, they don’t need to hire and train an in-house IT team with competitive salaries and paid offs for fulfilling their routine IT tasks. This works wonders in cutting staffing costs.
Further, law firms can leverage unlimited IT services provided by MSPs at a fixed monthly fee. It helps law companies create a predictable budget and plan their IT expenses in advance without worrying about hidden or unexpected charges.
4. Increased Accessibility
Law firm employees can take the help of MSPs to store their important files and documents in the cloud. This will allow them to retrieve their files securely through any smart device, irrespective of their location and time zone, thereby improving productivity and efficiency.
Cloud solutions also facilitate better collaboration among employees by giving them access to updated documents on-the-go, while enabling interaction in real-time.
Wrap Up
From proactive cybersecurity measures and round-the-clock technical support to reduced operational costs and access to world-class IT infrastructure, MSPs help legal organizations stay on top of their business while driving productivity.
