Law firms, in-house legal teams, and other professional services providers have a responsibility to maintain their clients’ data safely and securely. So it’s no wonder that these organizations grapple with the question, “Is data in the cloud safe?”.
The answer is unequivocally “yes”, so let’s examine some of the concerns — and benefits — that surround cloud computing.
Data security is a major concern
Whenever an organization is dealing with data, your biggest concern has got to be the security of that data. This is especially true of law firms that utilize cloud-based data solutions, considering the data may be their own or that of the client.
There are two primary questions that organizations tend to have about security:
First, you want to be sure your files are being backed-up regularly and that the back-up is secured off-site. The last thing you want is data being erased or corrupted, or the back-up destroyed in a fire or flood.
Second, you want to be sure that the information can’t be compromised in the event of a breach. Hackers can do a lot of damage if your data ends up in the wrong hands.
What certainty exists that can reassure you about the safety of your data in the cloud?
One certainty is the element of redundancy. As you know, the cloud is a network of computer servers all across the globe. Their job is to perform all of the heavy lifting regarding data storage, back-up, and delivery that your on-premise computer network is now doing. This redundancy creates resilience, and that means far less likelihood of a single point of failure.
Moreover, the cloud is managed by organizations whose primary purpose is to maintain data securely — organizations such as Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM to name but a few. Although cloud services aren’t free, they all tend to be less costly than maintaining your own servers, and all allow you to scale up or down quickly and easily as business needs dictate.
Cloud providers take steps to guarantee data protection
Cloud providers:
- Store your files on enterprise-class servers, encrypting your data both in storage and in transit;
- Protect those servers with firewalls, blocking malicious web traffic before it even reaches the servers;
- Create daily (or more frequent) back-ups in multiple off-site locations, using technologies that can restore your systems in hours — not days.
Data is the lifeblood of your business; it is your organization’s single most valuable asset. Not only should you manage that asset, you should promote data security as a feature of your firm — let clients and prospects know the importance of data security in your operation.
Do It Right — Get started now
If you have a room (or a closet) in your office dedicated to computer servers, your are overdue for a technology stack audit and needs assessment. Audits look at how your firm is using technology, and assessments reveal opportunities for improvements and cost savings. If you haven’t had a technology stack audit and needs assessment performed recently, contact Circle Management Group to schedule one today.
