Cyberattacks have increased during the pandemic, and law firms experienced the same in 2020. Compared to 2019's 26%, around 29% of the American Bar Association's Legal Technology Survey respondent law firms reported a security breach. If you don't want to become a part of these statistics, today is the right time to start investing in IT services for law firms.
There are many advantages to getting a technical help for your IT needs. It is like how your legal services help those in a bind with the law. Read on to know more about how experienced IT teams can benefit you.
Benefits of IT Services for Law Firms
You might wonder if your law firm needs IT services, but you do. Outsourcing your IT demands will provide you with these benefits:
Accessible IT support
Your outsourced IT team likely has members with different IT specialties, which allows them to help resolve a wide range of technology issues. You will work with a dedicated IT support provider from our team who can quickly and efficiently resolve problems 24/7.
Improved reliability
Law firms keep sensitive data in their network. Lawyers and other staff need constant access to the firm's network. You need a running network with minimal downtime as much as possible, so you need legal IT support.
Competitive advantage
Let the IT experts update your technology for a more secure and efficient law firm. It is critical these days when the legal industry is among the targets of cybercriminals. Make your updated legal IT services your competitive edge over your competitors.
Compliance
Cybercriminals see law firms as prime targets because they hold valuable information. These include intellectual property, personally identifiable information, trade secrets, and other confidential data. These data are why the legal industry is subject to several data security regulations. California has the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), while New York has the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD).
Update your cybersecurity plan if you want to comply with your state's breach notification laws and the American Bar Association's data protection regulations.
Top Legal IT Services
Once you've decided to invest in IT support for your legal services, here are the things you can expect:
Cloud-based solutions
If you want to improve your security, efficiency, and quality of doing business, look for an IT provider that offers cloud-based solutions. It could be Azure or Microsoft 365, which boosts collaborative and flexible working situations.
Advanced cybersecurity program
Unless your IT provider conducts comprehensive cybersecurity assessments, you'll never know your security vulnerabilities. They will assess your IT infrastructure and personnel know-how and recommend appropriate cybersecurity protections.
Compliance consulting
The American Bar Association recommends that law firms use third-party security assessments to check if they comply with industry and state regulations. It would help if you looked for this consulting service among your IT services for law firms. This legal IT service is critical for law firms handling clients subject to HIPAA, accepting credit cards and unfamiliar with their state privacy laws.
Device policy management
Lawyers and their staff sometimes need a remote work setup. Your IT service provider can ensure continuous access to your network while keeping it secure.
24/7 help desk
Your busy law firm needs round-the-clock IT support if you don't want lawyers losing valuable billable hours. Downtime is pretty expensive for law firms. If you want to avoid it, getting the best IT services for law firms is the answer.
Disaster recovery
Your legal IT services should include disaster recovery programs. These aim to minimize downtime from natural disasters, human errors, and cyberattacks. Like what was mentioned, downtime is costly for law offices.
Why It is Time to Use Legal IT Support
Lawyers have to balance doing their legal duties to their clients and ensuring that they continue to operate efficiently and securely while keeping the costs down. Fortunately, they can do this with the right IT services for law firms. These services can help improve their operations, minimize downtime, scale-up solutions, maximize billable hours, and cut costs.
If you want to hire an experienced legal IT support provider, our managed IT services team at Swift Systems has what you need. We have successfully overseen the IT infrastructure of several organizations, including healthcare facilities, warehouses, local government agencies, universities, and law firms, among others. We can provide a 24/7 help desk, ad hoc IT support, managed IT services, disaster recovery, compliance, information security, and consulting services. Contact us today to book a no-obligation consultation!