Lawyers' Laptops
Posted by Joseph Vance
A recent article in Law.Com discusses the security risks associated with the increased use of laptops by lawyers. Obviously, laptop security is not only an issue that effects lawyers. And, it seems that despite a pretty steady drumbeat the last several years regarding the need to be vigilant with laptop security, the warning is going unheeded by many. (See our prior entry regarding a report of increased laptop thefts from cars in Silicon Valley.)
Of course, the theft of the laptop is not the only security threat associated with the use of laptops. Using a laptop that is un- or underprotected to connect to the Internet via crowded public Wi-Fi hotspots in hotel lobbies, coffee shops and airport terminals exposes the laptop to a variety of risks that have the potential of being more damaging than the theft of the laptop itself.
As the Law.Com article points out, there is no question that laptops have helped give employees much more freedom and flexibility, which in turn has resulted in greater productivity. However, those benefits have a cost that is often not fully appreciated by employers. It is not the cost of the technology but rather the cost of lost, stolen, intercepted or misplaced information. Despite the reality of these dangers, many companies do not adequately understand or appreciate the risks and have not implemented the necessary safeguards to protect against those risks. Every company that uses laptops should consider it a priority to not only do a review to make sure that it has adequate laptop security policies in place but also that its employees have the proper understanding regarding the need for those policies.
Information security training and awareness programs which outline the types of security breaches along with the effects these can have on organisations when laptops are compromised will go a long way in making people proactive in their approach to securing their laptops