In the era of COVID-19 & lockdown, we see heavy reliance of organizations on their IT Infrastructure. Law firms are just like any other professional services that rely on IT Infrastructure & Managed Services for their day-to-day operations. One of the exciting predictions by McKinsey is that there is the scope of automation up to 23% of work done by lawyers, software’s are becoming smarter with the help of AI (meaning more tech in law firms). That’s just one of the predictions, but since the onset of COVID-19, when remote work is in high demand (or only option), law firms are slowly adapting to digital transformation & catching up with remote client services that they were reluctant to earlier.
In recent times we have seen a rise in cyber-attacks; law firms are no exception. Recently two Manitoba law firms were the victim of ransomware which is believed to be originated from email attachments. British Columbia law firms have reported similar attacks, both the incident has been reported in respective Law Society’s (Manitoba & BC). The average total cost of a data breach for Canadian companies was $4.50 million (USD), according to a 2020 report. Average ransom demand increased by 33% since Q4 2019 to approximately CAD 148,700 in Q1 2020 due to the impact of targeted ransomware operations. For the same reasons, different law societies in Canada are releasing their guidelines on technology usage, e.g., the Law Society of Ontario has Technology Practice Management Guideline. Just like any other business/organization, law firms are also subjected to PIPEDA. It governs how private sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information. Businesses failing to protect client’s confidential information are subjected to financial penalties, knowingly violating PIPEDA requirements for proactive security safeguards, data breach reporting, and keeping data breach records may be fined up to CAD 100,000 per violation. So, it becomes significant Law Firms, just like any other business, takes all necessary steps to safeguard their IT infrastructure from breaches.
Managed Services for Law firms plays a crucial role in their day to day IT operations & maintaining the security posture; some of the primary applications used by law firms are common across multiple industries:
- Practice management software
- Document management
- Time tracking and billing solutions
- eDiscovery tools
- Legal research tools
- E-signature tools
- Video conferencing software
- Online payments
- Client portals
- Client intake and CRM
- Digital Marketing Tools
- VOIP phone
- Virtual receptionist service
- Online file storage
- Word processors
- Scanners
The number of tools/applications/servers is equivalent (if not less) to any other professional service or business. Every firm has its way of managing its technology; some prefer to have an IT person on board to manage the systems, while a vast chunk prefers to outsource their technology to Managed Service provider. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen a rise in Virtual Law Firms, which is more like work from home setup for lawyers (just like other professionals) & they rely more heavily on technology/IT Infrastructure than traditional law firms. Outsourcing the day to day IT operations to Managed Service has its own set of benefits:
- Cutting edge technology at your disposal
- Engineers with more excellent expertise & knowledge ready to jump in
- A better security protocol for sensitive information
- Reduction in operating cost
- Increased time and energy to spend on other business facets
- Efficient IT management
We can confidently conclude that Managed Services for Law Firms will be a smart choice for IT support. They can act as the first line of defense for securing the IT infrastructure against unauthorized breaches. More & more organizations (Law Firms being no exception) are adopting a shared resource approach to get the best in class support, expertise & compliance. At Cygnik Tech, we thrive to provide the best-Managed Services to Law Firms.