Consider Security with PCLaw’s new Moblity Service

I’m not really a big fan of cloud computing (or SaaS: Software as a Service) for legal firms given the recent security breaches against Sony and Nintendo. Having a legal firm’s data out there, somewhere, who knows where (yet occasionally hackers seem to find where) seems fraught with danger. Just one breach could be enough to sink your law firm’s hard earned reputation.

PCLaw’s new Mobility service takes a different approach. It allow you to remotely enter timesheets and access other PCLaw data from web-enabled devices or from a browser. The data is still stored on your own server (no change). Of course, allowing access to your data from the web raises some security concerns.

• I’d advise avoiding using PCLaw Mobility from an internet cafe. It’s preferable to access it from a browser on your own PC, Mac, laptop or from a web-enabled device e.g. smartphones.
• If you use a browser, I prefer Mozilla Firefox. Use Firefox’s Private Browsing mode while using PCLaw Mobility then switch it off when you are finished. This is especially important if you do happen to access Mobility from an internet cafe. There is a portable version of Mozilla Firefox which works right off your USB which you can connect to any computer. This way you don’t leave your surfing history behind.
• PCLaw version 11 now introduces strong password functionality (minimum 8 characters, must include both alpha and numeric characters, cannot be the same as the user name) and PcLaw Mobility will require use of a strong password.
• Make sure you have daily backups using PCLaw’s internal back up feature.