When news breaks about businesses being hacked, it usually focuses on big social media or technology companies like Facebook or Microsoft. However, experts say cyber criminals also consider government agencies, financial institutions and law firms to be high-value targets. In fact, the American Bar Association reports that one-third of law firms with over 100 attorneys have experienced a data breach.

While most law firms understand that cloud-based practice management is an option for them, many still hesitate when it comes to adopting new technologies, according to the 2021 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report. Twenty-five percent of the lawyers surveyed said their firm doesn’t use cloud services. Those holding out are talking the talk but not walking the walk.

If your law firm’s current technology solution isn’t working, it’s time to consider an end-to-end solution that will cater to all your business needs. When your firm has decided to incorporate new legal technology into its practice, you must apply a comprehensive onboarding and training process to help ensure buy-in, acceptance, and adoption by lawyers, staff members and clients.

Today’s legal clients demand high-quality service from their attorneys, particularly regarding technology. Using the latest legal technology typically makes an attorney more efficient, accurate and productive, resulting in happier clients and more time to do what they are trained to do: practice law.

Let’s face it: remote work is here to stay. It doesn’t matter if you’re going into an office every day or meeting in-person with colleagues a few days a week; remote work will always be a fallback for many industries, especially the legal industry. With this thought in mind, optimizing your law firm for the new year is integral to the overall health of your business, and it’s never too early to start planning. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a cloud-based legal practice management (LPM) system at your disposal.

Now that most mask mandates and mandatory quarantines have been lifted, law firms are increasingly being faced with decisions regarding employee flexibility. Those that adapt and change to thrive in the new environment will likely reap the benefits of engaged flexible employees, while those that go back to the old ways might be left with a less productive and engaged workforce.

A siege mentality has long pervaded attempts to secure IT networks, encrypt data, and control access to a law firm’s sensitive information. That thinking tracked along medieval concepts of securing a fortress using thicker walls, stronger gates, and deeper moats. If you remained inside the walls, then you were protected, but if you ventured out then risks spiked, and all protection was lost.

Communication is imperative to the success of any law firm, especially when most businesses are operating on hybrid or fully remote work schedules. According to a recent survey, about 16% of firms invested in communication software at the onset of the pandemic in addition to other cloud-based practice management systems. And with the way things are trending, having open communication is going to be integral to building out your practice and making your business a success. However, it isn’t just communication between clients about the status of the cases that’s important, but also communication within the firm and keeping employees on the same page about tasks and matters.

There are so many ways for a law firm to become more profitable, which go beyond the standard approach of cutting costs and obtaining more business. Additionally, the new option for a hybrid work environment has caused new data safety concerns, which require new and tighter procedural requirements to combat them. Due to this current chaotic business environment, the legal industry has become one of the most susceptible industries to cyber-attacks. Every firm, no matter how big or small, must protect itself. So, what can a firm do to reduce the threat of being hacked?