Are you doing everything possible in order to keep your client protected?
As lawyers, you're constantly entrusted with clients' sensitive information, such as their addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. As such, it's important that we take extra care in safeguarding client information and, in turn, trust. Although the age of technology might make security seem a bit overwhelming, here area a few quick and easy steps we can take in order to keep data out of reach from ominous forces:
1. Make sure everyone in your firm knows what your PHI is.
It's really hard to protect data that people in your firm aren't fully aware of. For example, if your paralegals don't know what specific measures they need to take in order to keep, say, social security numbers secure, how can you ensure that they're being safe when they access work files from their home computers? If Brian in billing is leaving active case files open on his desktop during lunch, how can you ensure that this information isn't being accessed by outsiders?
In order to protect all of the sensitive data that your firm maintains, it's important for everyone to know (1) what this data is, (2) where it resides, (3) who has access to it, and (4) how it moves around your firm. When you're armed with this knowledge, it's a lot easier to see where the holes might exist in your processes, such as when and how clients and their data are left unnecessarily vulnerable.
In order to protect all of the sensitive data that your firm maintains, it's important for everyone to know (1) what this data is, (2) where it resides, (3) who has access to it, and (4) how it moves around your firm. When you're armed with this knowledge, it's a lot easier to see where the holes might exist in your processes, such as when and how clients and their data are left unnecessarily vulnerable.
2. Audit your HIPAA-compliance and processes regularly.
A simple place to begin is to make sure your firm's is up to date with HIPAA's regulations. When you've been working in the legal industry for several years, concepts such as setting up passwords and securing computers might become second nature, but this isn't the case for everyone. In order to make sure that there are no gaps in your security plan, take the time to perform internal audits often (especially whenever there's a big change at your firm, such as new recruits or a new location).
Keeping up with HIPAA is, of course, a legal requirement, but it's also really important for ensuring that you can rest easy knowing that your firm and client data is safe from potentially ominous forces. :-)
We all understand that sometimes it is easier to email or text a client, but it's not always the best idea to trust email servers with your sensitive data, as it leaves this information susceptible to a breach in security that you really have no control over. (Besides, it's so easy for someone to lose their laptop or cell phone and then to have personal information floating around cyberspace, accessible by whomever finds the lost device).
If you must use email, be sure to use a platform like MerusCase, which offers HIPAA-compliant messaging and encrypted emails that protect confidential emails. When you use Merus messaging, your data will never leave our servers, ensuring that your client's information is always kept secure.
Keeping up with HIPAA is, of course, a legal requirement, but it's also really important for ensuring that you can rest easy knowing that your firm and client data is safe from potentially ominous forces. :-)
3. Don't use email to send sensitive information. Period.
We all understand that sometimes it is easier to email or text a client, but it's not always the best idea to trust email servers with your sensitive data, as it leaves this information susceptible to a breach in security that you really have no control over. (Besides, it's so easy for someone to lose their laptop or cell phone and then to have personal information floating around cyberspace, accessible by whomever finds the lost device).
If you must use email, be sure to use a platform like MerusCase, which offers HIPAA-compliant messaging and encrypted emails that protect confidential emails. When you use Merus messaging, your data will never leave our servers, ensuring that your client's information is always kept secure.
4. Set expectations with your clients before they leave your office.
At the very beginning of any lawyer-client relationship, it's important to make sure everyone is on the same page. Your client has tons of expectations for how and when they'd like their case handled, so why shouldn't you have security expectations?
With technology today, it's not uncommon for clients to communicate via email, social networks, and, yep, even text messaging. Setting guidelines with your clients from the get-go will set your partnership up for stability, security, and success as you handle their case. Stuck on where to start? Walk them through who will be doing their billing, how to contact you if they notice an error, let them know how you prefer to communicate with them, and even walk them through setting up a MerusCase portal.
With technology today, it's not uncommon for clients to communicate via email, social networks, and, yep, even text messaging. Setting guidelines with your clients from the get-go will set your partnership up for stability, security, and success as you handle their case. Stuck on where to start? Walk them through who will be doing their billing, how to contact you if they notice an error, let them know how you prefer to communicate with them, and even walk them through setting up a MerusCase portal.
5. Verify, verify, verify.
Having a "safety first" mentality goes a long way when it comes to training your staff to value security. One of the best ways to help your firm prioritize security is to verify everything. It might seem intuitive to trust when your clients update billing addresses, change passwords, or alter their payment methods, but you've got to stop being so trusting!
From now on, whenever you receive potentially conflicting information online, be sure to verify these conflicts or changes with your clients. Yes, this means taking an extra minute to give your client a call, but thirty seconds now can prevent thousands of dollars in issues down the road.
Ditch that antiquated filing system because it's time to switch over to a cloud-based platform! After investing so much time in securing your firm's data, the last thing you need is to have physical copies lost, stolen, and in the wrong hands. Have no fear, making the switch to digital is easy: check out our How to Go Paperless white paper and take your firm paperless in 10 simple steps.
And that's really all there is to it! How does your firm go above and beyond to keep client data safe? Let us know in the comments below!
From now on, whenever you receive potentially conflicting information online, be sure to verify these conflicts or changes with your clients. Yes, this means taking an extra minute to give your client a call, but thirty seconds now can prevent thousands of dollars in issues down the road.
6. Get your head in the clouds and take your firm digital.
Ditch that antiquated filing system because it's time to switch over to a cloud-based platform! After investing so much time in securing your firm's data, the last thing you need is to have physical copies lost, stolen, and in the wrong hands. Have no fear, making the switch to digital is easy: check out our How to Go Paperless white paper and take your firm paperless in 10 simple steps.
And that's really all there is to it! How does your firm go above and beyond to keep client data safe? Let us know in the comments below!
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Note: This post features MerusCase Version 3.9 or earlier. As such, this post may no longer be accurate. For the most current and up-to-date information about the latest version of MerusCase, please visit our documentation at docs.meruscase.com.
Note: This post features MerusCase Version 3.9 or earlier. As such, this post may no longer be accurate. For the most current and up-to-date information about the latest version of MerusCase, please visit our documentation at docs.meruscase.com.
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