Don’t let outdated IT erode your law firm’s profitability or put your ethical standing at risk. You are an expert in the law; you shouldn’t have to be an expert in IT and cybersecurity too. Nevertheless, protecting sensitive client data is a professional obligation, not a choice. Generic IT support is not good enough to protect your practice.
Partnering with a managed IT provider for law firms ensures that your technology meets the rigorous demands of the legal industry, including ABA compliance, data privacy, and cloud security.
Moving Beyond “The Folder” with Intelligent Document Management
Traditional file servers are quickly becoming a liability. With growing data governance expectations from organizations like the ABA and evolving global regulations, law firms need more than shared drives and basic storage.
Firms should transition to modern, workflow-driven platforms like NetDocuments or iManage that are fully integrated with Microsoft 365, thus enabling:
- Semantic Search: Find a specific clause across years of files in seconds.
- Version Control: Eliminate confusion like “Final_v2_REVISED.docx.”
- Zero-Trust Access: Ensure only the right attorneys and staff can access sensitive materials.
The AI Arms Race: Augmentation vs. Risk
Most firms are already using legal AI tools to summarize documents, draft briefs, or accelerate research. While these tools are powerful, they also introduce risks like hallucinations and data exposure.
MSPs help law firms understand and manage these risks by establishing clear AI governance policies, training staff on responsible adoption, and ensuring confidential client data remains protected.
Defending the Vault: Cybersecurity for High-Value Targets
It’s no secret that law firms make attractive targets for cybercriminals. By compromising a single user, a cybercriminal gains access to a treasure trove of sensitive information including valuable intellectual property, financial records, and sensitive litigation documents.
These threats grow more sophisticated every day, making proactive security a necessity. Partnering with an MSP can help fortify your defenses and lessen your technical burden.
1. Identify-First Security & Zero Trust
Cybersecurity must go beyond firewalls and office networks. Employee training, strong access controls, and a Zero Trust approach can make a big difference.
- Continuous Authentication & MFA: In 2025, 22% of cybersecurity incidents started with a stolen credential; don’t let your firm become part of this statistic. By combining multi-factor authentication with continuous verification of user identity and device health, you ensure that access to platforms like Clio, MyCase, and Westlaw are constantly validated, not automatically trusted.
- Simulated Phishing: Regularly train your staff to recognize suspicious emails and links so they can confidently distinguish a legitimate court summons from a malicious attempt to compromise your firm.
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Deploy advanced monitoring tools that detect and contain threats in real time, stopping ransomware before it can encrypt a single case file.
2. Guarding Against AI-Generated Fraud & Deepfakes
Phishing emails designed to steal your team’s credentials aren’t the only threat you have to worry about. AI has armed attackers with new tools, including a deep-fake technology capable of impersonating firm partners, clients, or vendors. Even if it sounds legitimate, you are right to be suspicious. But there are strategies you can adopt to keep your firm safe:
- Advanced Email Security: Behavioral AI can detect anomalies like impossible travel, unusual login behavior, or suspicious file-access patterns before damage is done.
- Identity & Communication Controls: Verification protocols ensure that high-risk financial or other data requests are validated beyond voice or email alone.
3. Immutable Backups & The “Triple Extortion” Defense
Ransomware that locks your sensitive data behind a paywall is only part of the threat. Today’s attackers often go a step further, threatening to release confidential files if their demands aren’t met. It’s no longer just about restoring access; it’s about protecting your firm’s reputation, client confidentiality, and legal obligations.
- Unchangeable Backups: Store your critical data in a “write once, read many” (WORM) format so your files can’t be altered or deleted by attackers.
- Rapid Recovery: With the right disaster recovery plan in place, your law firm can continue operating while systems are restored, thus protecting both billable hours and client trust.
4. Secure Remote Access for Attorneys
Cybersecurity is not just an “in-office” concern. Threats can follow employees home, exposing both your team and firm to new risks.
Rather than relying solely on legacy VPN setups, modern firms are adopting:
- Secure cloud-based document management
- Conditional access policies
- Identity-based security controls
- Managed endpoint protection for firm-issued devices
Don’t risk exposing your network, data, or reputation when the right IT partner can ensure your attorneys work securely from anywhere.
Is Your Technology a Partner or a Paralyzer?
When was the last time you reviewed your IT infrastructure and security practices? If you can’t remember, now would be a good time to do so. Remember that your law firm has unique requirements that general IT providers may not fully understand. From supporting platforms like Clio and NetDocuments to implementing cybersecurity and compliance controls, the right MSP for law firms does more than handle your day-to-day IT issues. A legal-focused MSP can help your law firm protect client data, strengthen security, and ensure your technology actively supports your firm’s growth and goals.
Founder & CEO of PC Professional
Founder and CEO of PC Professional, leading the Bay Area IT firm for over 44 years with deep expertise in consulting, security, and hardware.
About Dan Sanguinetti
Dan Sanguinetti is the founder and CEO of PC Professional, a Bay Area IT services firm that’s been in business since 1981. Leading the company for over 44 years, Dan’s expertise spans IT consulting, cybersecurity, computer hardware, and more. As a hands-on leader, Dan has successfully guided PC Professional to support hundreds of local businesses and nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area by staying adaptive and client focused.