Can Your eDiscovery Data Get Hacked? The Affordable Solution for Your Small Law Firm

28 December 2018 by Anith Mathai eDiscovery small-law-firm affordable security hacking

Takeaway: Store your eDiscovery data in the Cloud. Cloud providers have the resources and technical know-how to keep your data safer than you possibly could.

Where should you be storing your clients’ eDiscovery data?

You need access to a large number of files. And you’ll need to use them often. But if they’re not well protected, they can easily get hacked.

Larger law firms invest in private eDiscovery.

They pay for on-premises servers, install custom software, set up comprehensive security systems, and hire dedicated IT teams to keep everything running. But as a smaller law firm with fewer cases, this isn’t worth your while.

Luckily, firms like yours now have the perfect solution: the Cloud.

Cloud-hosting has been around for a long time. In fact, if you use Dropbox, Google Drive, or any Apple product, then you’re already in the Cloud. Here, software giants like Amazon and Google let you store your files on their servers. And these thousands of interconnected servers form a public ‘Cloud.’ Since you’re sharing the servers with other people, everyone splits the cost. So you end up paying much less than bigger law firms with private servers.

Cloud hosting leads to Software as a Service (SaaS).

Here, you not only store data in the Cloud – you run software in it too. Your eDiscovery provider designs and manages the software, while you use it over the internet. This means,

You won’t need new equipment. And you won’t need to download and install software.
You won’t need an IT team since your eDiscovery provider handles the technical stuff.
You can access files from anywhere. All you’ll need is a laptop and an internet connection. Perfect for when you’re on-the-go. Or stuck at an airport waiting for a delayed flight.
It’s easy to collaborate. Multiple users can use the software, so it’s easy for teams to work together and share productions.

But most importantly, your data is well protected.

Cloud providers like Google and Amazon attract the smartest minds. Who spend all their time figuring out how to protect your data from hackers and accidental breaches.

So, what do Cloud providers do to secure your data?

Here’s how they keep it safe. Safer than even the most resource-rich large law firm could.

1. They protect their servers.

Your data is stored on their servers. So, their first priority is to keep these secure. This means:

They have systems in place to protect against physical damage from fires, floods, etc. And they have generators to make sure the servers are always powered up.
They do rigorous background and security checks for employees and IT professionals that come in contact with their servers.
They regularly test their software and hardware to make them hack-proof.

2. They protect your data.

You’re the only one who can get to your data. They use technology (like encrypted biometric identification) to make sure only authorized vendors are connecting to their servers.
You’re the only one who can read your data. They encrypt your data, and when you want to delete it, they use crypto-shredding to delete the encryption keys. This guarantees that your data is wiped thoroughly. Also, they mask (i.e., hide within random characters) vital information like credit card numbers.
You’re the only one who can modify your data. They make sure that your data doesn’t get mistakenly corrupted, edited, or mixed up with other users’ data. And they have advanced data recovery tools to retrieve your data even if it does get lost.

3. They are held strictly accountable.

They can’t afford to slack off, because they’re bound by laws, regulations, and service-level agreements (i.e., agreements between your cloud and eDiscovery providers.) In the US, for example, there’s the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It covers best practices for security and privacy when making online payments. Many countries also have laws about audit trails – which are strict digital records of everything that’s done to your data. These laws and regulations keep Cloud providers disciplined. Often, more disciplined than law firms that don’t use Cloud eDiscovery and instead store data on their own private servers.

4. They have various levels of security

They have deterrents to warn attackers off.
They proactively search for and fix vulnerabilities. And they constantly monitor what’s happening to your data.
They plan for data breaches and have a protocol for how to handle them. And how they can limit possible damage. For example, installing backup systems to help restore a hacked server.

Want Cloud eDiscovery, to keep your data safe? Try GoldFynch.

GoldFynch is next-generation Cloud eDiscovery software that prioritizes things that matter to small law firms like yours.

Pay just $27 per month for a basic 3 GB case. That’s significantly less–every month–than the nearest comparable software. And hundreds of dollars less than many others. Instead of using per-GB pricing, it uses fixed-volume pricing with a per-GB rate for comparison. (See how simple the pricing scheme is, on the GoldFynch website.)
It’s a flat, prorated rate. So it’s simple to budget for it.
Pricing is all-inclusive: So, you don’t need to pay to ‘unlock’ premium features. You’ll have the full power of GoldFynch even with a starter case.
Got a small case that might become a large one later? GoldFynch is in the Cloud, so it can scale from small to large. Choose from a range of case sizes (3 GB to 150 GB, and more) and don’t waste money on space you don’t need.
It takes just minutes to get going. Since it runs in the Cloud, you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free, fully-functional trial case (0.5 GB of data and processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
You get the best technical support: It’s designed, developed and run by the same team. So, the technical support isn’t outsourced. Which means prompt and reliable service.

Want to find out more?

For more about eDiscovery for small law firms, check out these articles.

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