Why do law firms need IT Support?

Law firms play a vital role in our legal system. They provide representation and counsel to individuals and businesses alike. It is very important for law firms to have good IT support because they rely on technology more and more.

 
If a firm doesn't have the proper IT staff, risk increases. So, confidential data leaks or complete data loss becomes more likely. This is unfortunate in many ways. From letting go of a key employee to losing a lucrative client, the consequences can be severe. Legal liability can result from lost data files. But, longer term reputation damage could hurt even more due to lost opportunities. The potential Opportunity cost is impossible to calculate.

Law firms spend enormous amounts of energy to build a positive reputation. They promote case studies of handling tricky cases and clients with professionalism. A reputation for computer mismanagement could only hurt those efforts. Especially when having the right support team can prevent most issues.

What is Professional IT support?

A Professional IT support is a team of trained IT professionals. IT support teams have the skills to fix computer problems. And, they are responsible for maintaining, repairing, and optimizing an organization's computer networks. Professional IT support can include a range of services such as:
- Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
- Installing and configuring hardware and software
- Providing training and support to users
- Developing and implementing security measures  
- Managing and maintaining networks, servers, and other infrastructure
- Providing technical support via phone, email, or in-person
- Developing and implementing disaster recovery plans
- Writing custom software
- Developing websites
Many organizations choose to outsource IT support to Managed Service providers like BeCloud. It can be more cost-effective and allow firms access to a wider range of expertise and resources.

But why exactly do law firms need IT support, and what specific benefits does it provide?

Data security:

Law firms handle a large amount of sensitive and confidential information. This includes client data, legal documents and financial records. IT Support can secure information to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. IT support can help law firms install effective security measures. Those protocols will include:
1. Data encryption.
2. Secure login protocols including two-factor authentication.
3. Regular backups.
4. Access logging and auditing.

Practice management:

Law firms use specialized software to manage their practices. Examples include case management, billing, and document management systems. IT support is necessary to ensure that these systems work in a secure and efficient manner. Cloud based systems should need less support.
 

Communication and collaboration:

Effective communication and collaboration are essential. IT support can help law firms deploy and maintain communications tools:
1. Email including spam filtering and archiving.
2. Video conferencing including hardware and conference room setups.
3. Document sharing platforms including data encryption and search.
This will foster better communication and collaboration among team members. This technology will lead to increased productivity and efficiency. Team members will share information and work together on projects in real time.

Cyber security:

Cyber threats are a major concern for law firms, as they can lead to data breaches and financial losses. IT support can help law firms install and maintain cyber security measures. Antivirus software, firewalls, and regular security assessments, provide great protection against cyber criminals. Part of supports daily duties is the continuous monitoring of those protections.

There are many hidden costs of cutting corners on IT services. Some of the most common costs include:

Downtime:

Downtime will impact productivity and revenue. The cost of downtime can include lost profits and lost productivity. Attorney billable hours are expensive and add up for big losses for the firm.

Data loss:

If an organization's systems and data are not backed up, it can result in data loss. This can be costly to recover or replace. We have seen attorney's pay thousands of dollars to forensically recover data. When our simple cloud backup solutions would have prevented the loss.

Security breaches:

Cyber security breaches can be costly. A breach will bring all work in a firm to a quick and abrupt halt. Depending on the damage it could take weeks to recover from such an incident. We recommend cloud desktops (DaaS) which can be restoredquickly to a previous state. We also use machine learning and other tools to combat this threat. No support team can guarantee zero security incidents. But, we can put policies and procedures in place to decrease risk.
 

Technical debt:

Organizations buy licenses for software or other technologies. If they do not consume the products, it results in wasted expenditure. For example, BeCloud monitors cloud use to keep costs as close to real use as possible. Also, we can make recommendations based on what we see other clients doing to decrease time and effort.

Disaster recovery:

Despite the best efforts of IT support teams, unforeseen disasters can still occur. Whether it's a natural disaster, a power outage, or a cyber attack, law firms need to have a plan in place. Our contingency plans ensure that law firms can continue to operate in the event of an emergency. Contingency plans include measures such as data backups and remote access solutions.

A Professional IT support team is not cheap because of the following expenses.

Training:

IT support professionals must stay abreast of constantly-evolving innovations and best practices. IT professionals endure this cost of time and money to remain a valuable asset for customers. Training is necessary so that customer networks can be secure. Training also enables the effective use of modern technologies!
 

Software and hardware cost:

IT support firms pay dearly for specialized software packages. Monitoring, managing and supporting customers requires specialized software to do it right. When I hear a firm complain about software and hardware cost I'm always tempted to show them our bills.
 

Employee cost:

Many IT roles need advanced education and training. And, some IT roles are highly specialized. Combine this with a demand for skilled IT professionals that often exceeds supply. That equals a very expensive payroll.

In Conclusion, Investing in IT support is an essential part of running a successful law firm. Although, professional IT support is not cheap. It will improve the security and productivity of your firm. Great IT support will also decrease hidden costs like downtime, security risk, and data loss. If you are in need of a professional IT support firm. And you need professional results please contact us today!