As we alert our blog readers to recent warnings from the FBI and the IRS about criminal scams which might impact their personal information, here at Geyer Law we have in place a four-prong strategy for safeguarding information, using:
- encrypted email
- secure file sharing
- secure cloud storage
- cybersecurity insurance
All types of businesses and practices need to be concerned about expanding cybersecurity, but law firms need to be particularly vigilant. Cyber criminals often target law firms, because, by definition, we collect sensitive information from clients. “A key concern is that a breach may violate the professional and ethical obligations lawyers have to protect privileged client information from unwanted access and disclosure,” Teichholz and Swancy-Haslam write in Bloomberg Law.
Back in 2017, the ABA Journal’s cover story included an anecdote that every lawyer – and every client – needs to periodically revisit:
“It’s another busy day at the office when you receive an email with an attached
memo. You don’t remember asking for the memo, but you download the attachment anyway. Alarm bells! It’s not an attachment. It’s malware that’s now infecting your computer and every other computer in your law firm.”
The authors conclude that cybersecurity is the biggest risk that law firms face (that was in 2017!)
End-of-life planning can be an emotional process, whether it’s preparing an advance directive or choosing a burial plot, deathwithdignity.org points out, cautioning that “digital estate planning should be a part of your overall estate planning process.” That includes ensuring your data and digital legacy are organized and protected, the authors add, explaining that there are 4 steps involved in safeguarding your digital legacy:
- taking an inventory of all digital assets and devices
- securing all passwords
- making decisions about each digital asset
- providing instructions for handling digital assets in the event of your incapacity or death
(As we help our clients to update their estate planning documents, we can include language to legally give trusted agents access to digital assets and information
Cybersecurity continues to be one of the biggest risks that we as a law firm face and that you as a client face when it comes to estate planning. At Geyer law, protection of online data continues to be a priority!
– by Cara Chittenden, Associate Attorney at Rebecca W. Geyer & Associates
