Is Cloud-Based Legal Practice Management Software Secure?

The COVID-19 pandemic is the catalyst that made many organizations transition to the Cloud. You are already using the Cloud if you use digital apps and tools such as Gmail, Zoom, Microsoft 365, Dropbox, and iCloud.

Now, the legal industry has begun to join the trend by leveraging cloud based legal management software in their practice — but not so much. According to the 2021 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, cloud usage barely increased to 60 percent (up from 59% in 2020). Why so? It might be because legal work requires caution and restraint as well as the need to protect client confidentiality.

Security: A barrier to adoption

The biggest concerns when it comes to Cloud adoption are confidentiality or security and the lack of control over data. The above survey reported that 61% of respondents mentioned confidentiality/security as their top concern, while 43% questioned the lack of control over their data. Their fears are not unfounded since there is still a growing incidence of ransomware and other cyberattacks such as identity theft and data breaches that can lead to compliance violations.

Is the Cloud secure?

And that brings us to the question, which is more secure: data stored locally on your computer or in the Cloud maintained by your provider? When weighing the probability of a cyberattack, data stored in the Cloud may be more secure.

Organizations that are using Cloud-based apps or SAAS rely on their SAAS providers to host their applications in the Cloud instead of running them on-premises. This means that the provider takes on the responsibility of securing their infrastructure.

Chances are, your SAAS providers’ security measures are more robust and powerful compared to what you have protecting your on-premises computers. This may include sophisticated encryption, regular security updates, built-in firewalls, redundancy, and third-party security testing.

Therefore, it is crucial to take into consideration the security of the SAAS provider when choosing legal management software. Ninety-six percent of legal professionals from the above survey rated the reputation of the vendor/provider as important in their decision-making process.

So, for those legal firms that are currently using legal management software, it is critical that their chosen SAAS provider follows a strict, secure development practice and offers software that has excellent, proven security features. Multi-factor authentication, Microsoft and Google login options, role-based access controls, and encryption are just a few of the most important features that your cloud-based legal management software should have to keep your data secure.

Clarra’s Law Practice and Legal Case Management software is tailored to the unique needs of legal professionals. It offers enterprise-class security features to ensure the confidentiality and security of the digital assets it manages.

To learn more about how Clarra takes Ccloud security seriously, drop us a line today!