For solo attorneys or small law firms, password security is (or at least should be) an essential component of your overall security plan. Any policy you develop or modify should aid in the prevention of the guessing of one’s passwords, along with other advanced password attacks.
Today, most password management apps aid you in establishing and enforcing strong password requirements. Passwords should be at least eight characters long include a combination of letters and symbols. They must be enforced to prevent workers from reusing their original passwords for their applications. And that’s the bare minimum.
However, too many solos and small law firms fall into the trap of using (and reusing) insecure passwords rather than utilizing the tools at their disposal. They neglect to enforce basic standards on every worker’s computer and logins, particularly email accounts.
I’m still shocked at how many law firms put convenience ahead of security, especially email passwords.
Changing your email password, synchronizing it across all of your devices, and enabling 2FA may be difficult, especially since email has become an essential part of our job and personal lives.
How do you apply a password policy that incorporates all the sophisticated recommendations while knowing you still need to remember these passwords? We’ve got to be able to keep them straight without writing them down on a sticky note.
Two of the best solutions to address this problem are multifactor authentication and password management apps.
The key question is: how can you and your employees safely access critical systems that require passwords while still maintaining password security procedures?
Multifactor authentication is one of the most cost-effective ways for law firms to secure digital assets.
As more businesses migrate their valuable data and servers to the cloud, two-factor or multifactor authentication has gone from a “should probably do” to an “absolutely must-have.” In basic terms, multifactor or two-factor authentication adds another layer of security to your login procedure.
Users must authenticate using a second means in addition to the conventional username and password. Verifying a previously chosen picture or personal data is one example of establishing a secure connection before logging into sensitive locations. A one-time password or pin delivered to the user’s mobile phone via text falls within the simple category. An advanced method is to use a token app or card with a rolling pin that changes at regular intervals.
The usage of password managers is the next MUST have. Password managers store your login information for all the apps and websites you use and allow you to generate and safely store many passwords.
Most of them can automatically log you into the apps and websites, making the experience of creating unique, secure passwords and logging into websites effortless.
The goal of a password manager is to encrypt your password database and store it in an encrypted manner. The only password you must remember is the one used to access the password manager.
Passwords are now managed and controlled from a single location, making this service ideal for small businesses. Your firm may take advantage of this service with a program that utilizes sharing and managing individual and system passwords from a centrally maintained platform.
The top of these systems provides cross-platform compatibility (Mac, Windows, and Mobile), multifactor auth, biometrics in the iPhone and iOS, and regular password audits that help identify weak and duplicate passwords and rank users’ security posture.
It is not my goal to scare you but rather to create greater awareness. After reading this, you may conclude that having stringent password policies in place is just too much of a hassle. I hope it’s not the case, but if it is, please realize how critical secure password security is to your firm’s security.
If dealing with cybersecurity for your firm is overwhelming – find a “who” to take it off your plate. BobaGuard is a turnkey suite of cybersecurity solutions that will help you implement the password protocols I’ve reviewed in this article, along with seven additional solutions I recommend every law firm leverages to keep cybercriminals from hacking your law firm.
If you don’t have the tools in place to protect your firm, cybercriminals can and will steal your credentials, causing havoc… Everything you’ve worked so hard to build within your law firm could be lost. Want to learn how to reduce your risk of a data breach? Book a free security strategy call now.
