eDiscovery in a Pandemic (Part 4): How to Protect Your Data While Working Remotely

12 May 2020 by John eDiscovery pandemic work-from-home

Takeaway: Working remotely can be convenient, but the challenge is to protect all your privileged eDiscovery data. Here’s the smart solution: Outsource data security to Cloud and eDiscovery providers. They know the best ways to keep strangers out and let you choose who on your team sees what, and when.

How do you keep eDiscovery data safe when working remotely?

One of the biggest challenges attorneys now face is protecting their data from hackers. Working from home can be convenient, but we’re regularly sending privileged data to other team members working remotely. And this data can get hacked. So, the solution is to get professionals to handle data security.

Switch to Cloud eDiscovery and hand over your data security to highly-trained specialists.

The Cloud is a global network of hundreds of thousands of high-performance servers belonging to software giants like Google and Amazon. With Cloud eDiscovery, you don’t buy eDiscovery software that you install on your computer. Instead, you subscribe to an eDiscovery service, where your service provider runs the software for you in the Cloud. And they store your data there, too.

Here’s why you can trust your Cloud providers to keep your data safe.

Remember, they recruit the sharpest minds to develop cutting-edge security systems.

1. Cloud providers are legally bound to provide the highest levels of security.

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 U.S., 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.

2. Cloud providers guard their servers well.

They protect them from physical damage – for example, fires and water-logging.
They do rigorous background and security checks for employees and IT professionals, so only authorized personnel are given access to their physical servers.
They regularly test their software and hardware to make them hack-proof.
They proactively search for and fix vulnerabilities. And they constantly monitor what’s happening to your data (without viewing the content itself.)

3. Cloud providers encrypt and seal your data with advanced digital security.

You’re the only one who can get to your data. And only authorized users can connect to their servers.
You’re the only one who can read your data because of their data encryption.
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.

4. Cloud providers have contingency plans for worst-case scenarios.

For example:

They have generators that kick in to cover power cuts. So their servers never go offline, and your data is always accessible.
They plan for data breaches and have a protocol for how to handle them. For example, installing backup systems to help restore a hacked server.

In addition to Cloud security, your eDiscovery provider will add their own measures to protect your data.

The trick is to find an eDiscovery service that provides the following:

1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized sign-ins.

This adds a layer of protection because you’ll need more than one piece of information to verify your identity when logging in. You’ll enter your password and then also receive an authentication code – either as an SMS or from a trusted ‘authenticator’ application (like Google Authenticator) on your cell phone. MFA is what high-security services like ATMs use – where you need both your debit card and PIN. Most email services use it too. (Note: Both these examples can be more accurately called two-factor authentication since you need no more than two pieces of information to get in.) Learn how eDiscovery applications set up MFA.

2. Control over permissions and users, so you can choose who does what.

You may not want everyone on your team to have full control of a case. So, the best eDiscovery services let you allot different levels of access for each user. For example, eDiscovery service GoldFynch has four levels of access:

Level 1: Reviewers – They can search and review data. And generate reports and ‘productions.’
Level 2: Users – They have reviewer privileges, plus they can upload, move, rename and delete files. They can also modify tags, productions, and reports.
Level 3: Admins – They have level 1 & 2 privileges. Plus, they can add, remove, and change roles for users.
Level 4: Owners – They can do all of the above, plus delete cases.

Are you looking for secure eDiscovery software? Try GoldFynch.

It’s an eDiscovery service tailored for small and midsize law firms.

It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That’s significantly less than most comparable software. With GoldFynch, you know what you’re paying for exactly – its pricing is simple and readily available on the website.
It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch charges only for storage (processing is free). So, choose from a range of plans (3 GB to 150+ GB) and know up front how much you’ll be paying. It takes just a few clicks to move from one plan to another, and billing is prorated – so you’ll pay only for the time you spend on any given plan. With legacy software, pricing is much less predictable.
It’s safe. Your data is protected by bank-grade security. Perfect for small and midsize firms.
It’s quick to get started. GoldFynch runs in the Cloud, so you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free trial case (0.5 GB of data and processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
It’s simple to use. Many eDiscovery applications take hours to master. GoldFynch takes minutes. It handles a lot of complex processing in the background, but what you see is minimal and intuitive. Just drag-and-drop your files into GoldFynch and you’re good to go. Also, you get prompt and reliable tech support.
It keeps you flexible. To build a defensible case, you need to be able to add and delete files freely. Many applications charge to process each file you upload, so you’ll be reluctant to let your case organically shrink and grow. And this stifles you. With GoldFynch, you get unlimited processing for free.
Access it from anywhere. And 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud, so it’s perfect for when you have to work from home.