Compliance in the legal industry is notorious for being complex, time-consuming, and an all-around headache. With detailed, ever-changing regulations, it can be difficult to stay on top of compliance while also running your firm. By partnering with an experienced, trustworthy provider specializing in law firm IT support and compliance, you can enjoy the benefits of staying compliant, protecting customer data, and free time to dedicate to cases and clients.

Why Are Law Firms at Risk?

Law firms house highly valuable information, including personal, financial, and medical data, as well as intellectual property, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. To protect this data, compliance standards are implemented to help law firms safeguard client confidentiality and promote integrity and safety.

What Compliance Regulations Apply to Law Firms?

States can have varied compliance standards, and the types of cases and clients you handle can also affect what regulations apply to your firm. Familiarize yourself with these basic standards and seek professional law firm IT support for specific guidance.
  • ABA Client Data Protection Standards: The American Bar Association has established guidelines to emphasize the protection of client information, including measures to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access.
  • Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): SOX outlines requirements for financial record keeping and auditing for public companies. Firms that work with these companies or are public themselves must perform the necessary audits and confirm that records are kept appropriately.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The FTC enforces regulations that prevent deceptive business practices and transactions. Law firms must comply by ensuring honest, clear communication with clients and protecting their data.
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): HIPAA regulations require the proper protection and handling of patient data. Firms that work on healthcare-related cases must have controls in place to prevent data breaches and protect this sensitive information.

Why Is Law Firm IT Support Important?

Most MSPs that offer law firm IT support include compliance services, where they help you keep track of what regulations apply to your firm and how you can stay compliant. This expert help is invaluable and presents many benefits for your practice.

Protect Clients

When you’re compliant, you significantly decrease the risk of your client’s personal and financial information being exposed or exploited. This allows you to better protect them and help them with their case.

Defend Against Cyber Threats

The stringent cybersecurity requirements associated with compliance serve to protect client data, but they’ll also strengthen your firm’s systems as a whole. By creating a tighter safety web around customer information, your other resources (e.g., employee data, intellectual property, etc.) will also be safer.

Minimize Financial Risk

Staying compliant reduces the likelihood of data breaches and the subsequent costly recovery, which includes lost money from downtime, client and employee compensation, PR management costs, lost revenue from client loss, etc. You can also avoid the hefty fines associated with non-compliance.

Preserve Productivity

Wrestling with compliance can take a lot of time and energy that most law firm owners and managers don’t have. By outsourcing your law firm’s IT compliance support, you can leave the logistics to them and give your cases the time and attention they deserve.

Maintain Client Trust & Relationships

Security Magazine reports that 66% of customers lose trust in companies that experience a data breach. By taking measures to completely protect data, you show your clients that you care about them, their case, and their information, creating a trusting, effective partnership.

Avoid Legal Complications

You should not have to deal with your own legal case on top of your clients. Failure to adhere to compliance standards can result in legal repercussions that can further damage your reputation and relationships with clients, as well as require significant time, money, and resources to resolve. When you stay compliant, you can sidestep these losses and concentrate your resources on cases.

Provide Secure Remote Access

Controls required for compliance, like MFA or encryption, also create an infrastructure that can be securely accessed remotely, which is crucial with today’s flexible work trends. These security measures minimize the risk of unauthorized access and enable your team to work efficiently and securely from any location, maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of client information.

How Can iTology’s Law Firm IT Support Help Me?

iTology has years of experience helping law firms like yours stay safe and compliant and a team dedicated to your success. Our techs are well-versed in the different compliance standards your firm may need to follow and our deep knowledge of cybersecurity and data management gives us the tools we need to help you secure your systems, protect client data, and maintain compliance.

Master Compliance with iTology

Compliance often feels complicated, but a partner can simplify it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with law firm IT support, just give iTology a call—and get ready for quick results, the best customer service, and personalized, proactive solutions.