Jan 27, 2014

For many organizations, mobile devices have become part of everyday business operations and are introducing numerous benefits and challenges that must be overcome. Mobile file sharing is becoming popular for companies of all sizes, but there are some that must take additional precautions due to preordained industry compliance standards. Law firms in particular must ensure that they are observing secure mobile file sharing best practices as data leaks could harm client standing and impact the firm’s reputation. Law practitioners will need to use appropriate file sharing solutions and engage security measures that will better protect critical information.

Bringing BYOD to legal firms
Bring-your-own-device initiatives are increasingly being adopted by organizations, but law firms in particular must prepare for the risks this trend brings. ILTA contributor Charles Magliato wrote that organizations with BYOD can be productive if they also have the appropriate security measures to keep sensitive information safe. Programs like mobile device management, database management and mobile file sharing software will help law firms get better data oversight and manage BYOD appropriately. Magliato noted that legal professionals have been using secure file transfer services to share documents between colleagues and ensure that the information is still protected.

“They offer an intuitive, self-service Web interface that allows nontechnical users to initiate transfers,” Magliato wrote. “They also provide robust verification of receipt, tracking of delivery status, recipient auto registration and enforcement of strong authentication.”

Solutions based online provide an intuitive interface that promotes constant backups of files and secure sharing capabilities. Enterprise-grade offerings give decision makers the power to assign authorization codes and user capabilities, which will enable better collaboration efforts and reduce the chances of data leaks.

Creating a secure mobile file sharing platform
Data is increasingly important to business operations, and it is therefore essential for law firms to protect these assets from threats. Mobile access control provided by Memeo C1 will become more important for file security and the future of sharing work documents. An Iron Mountain report noted that building information governance into key processes is integral to ensuring that data is secure. These measures can include handling information mobility, third-party relationships, monitoring key processes, firm intellectual property and client information requests.

Protecting legal data
Organizations are encouraged to integrate data governance principles as part of maintenance processes and publish these guidelines as part of operational standards. By maintaining connections with the departments in the organization and conducting awareness campaigns, management can ensure that the best practices are being used on a consistent basis.