21st Century Storage
As more attorneys use laptops and multiple devices in various locations, access to secured files is as important as backup and disaster recovery. Should online storage be a part of your backup plan?
As a good attorney, you avoid unnecessary risks, both in your pursuit of your clients’ interests and in the way you run your firm. You have good reason not to blindly adopt untested technology — your tools should be as reliable, effective and confidential as you are.
Online data storage is making the transition from risky to respectable within the legal industry. And the appeal is obvious: Instead of an untamed mountain of paper files or backup tapes and CDs prone to malfunction, years of data now can be stored affordably on easy-to-access servers that protect your files from harm and decay. But before small firms make the jump to online data storage, there are important questions to answer: How can you be sure your files will be accessible, confidential and safe from decay, catastrophe and theft?
You can be sure because there’s safety in numbers, and online data storage relies on multiple layers of protection. Here’s how it works: Your firm’s attorneys and employees encrypt your files and protect them with passwords, then transmit the files to a data storage firm that houses them but can not open them. The data is then stored on servers in a secure facility, with backup copies kept many miles away in case the first facility loses the data in a catastrophic event. Top data storage providers also verify that the data was uploaded intact. When you need to access data, your files are delivered back to you, still encrypted — and require the original password to open them. The speed of retrieval varies by the vendor and the service level you choose, from instant access to a few days’ wait.
Several bar associations have decided that the technology is ready, including state bar associations in Nevada and New Mexico and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, all of which have endorsed Oklahoma City-based CoreVault. (The California State Bar Association does not endorse a provider.) In general, top data storage providers’ protection systems follow the routine described above and meet strict standards. You’ll want your files encrypted according to the Advanced Encryption Standard, the encryption algorithm used by the federal government. Once you’ve uploaded your files, they’ll be stored at data centers, the best of which meet criteria set by the Uptime Institute, a consortium of IT industry professionals that sets performance benchmarks. The group’s top tier-certified data centers feature multiple power sources, redundant components and availability exceeding 99.9%.
Barriers to entry
Though your encrypted files theoretically can not be accessed by anyone except you, the best of these data storage facilities also feature armed guards, 24-hour operation and biometric access procedures such as fingerprint scanning. They also are designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes, but just in case they fail, additional copies of your files are stored in separate, comparably rigorous facilities.
As you investigate different vendors and services, there are several things to consider. First, be sure to choose a business-class product. Consumer-grade services are cheaper, but don’t feature the security or reliability of commercial-level solutions. Gary Clarke, chief information officer for the State Bar of California, suggests several other precautions as well. These safety measures include running a background check on the vendor’s staff performing the work; verifying what happens to your data if the vendor goes out of business — ensuring both that you will have continued access and that no one else will; and that you will be able to open your files when you need them.
“We wouldn’t sign a contract with a vendor that didn’t have very defined service levels for performance and some cumbersome penalties for non-performance,” Clarke says. “You have to be able to get at your data when you need it.”
Location, location, location
Clarke also suggests making sure the data storage facilities are secure enough to meet your firm's comfort level. The specifics of security vary among top providers. CoreVault, for example, boasts that both of its data centers are located in the United States, one in Oklahoma City and the second 120 miles away, and that the company even owns the fiber optic cables connecting the facilities. But though CoreVault’s data centers meet the criteria for the Uptime Institute’s top-tier certification, they don’t use biometric access procedures. In contrast, the data centers for Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based SOS Online Backup USA do use biometric scanning and each center qualifies for either the Uptime Institute’s top tier or its second-highest tier. However, the SOS centers aren’t all located in the United States.
Against all odds
Statistically, your firm is more likely to lose data to a faulty tape backup or a stolen laptop than to a problem with online data storage. CoreVault says that while tape backups fail often, the company has a perfect record in providing its customers with the data they request. And a report from the Ponemon Institute, an information security research firm, shows that 49% of data breaches in its 2007 survey were due to stolen laptops. So depending on your existing practices, online storage could greatly improve the security and accessibility of your files.
And the price is reasonable. CoreVault estimates most small law firms store less than 20GB of data, typically less than 5GB. CoreVault charges $19.95 per month for up to 5GB, while SOS charges $1.80 monthly per GB.
Entrusting a third-party vendor with your confidential files isn’t an easy decision, especially when relying on new technology. But online data storage is gaining acceptance in the legal community, and it may help your firm manage its records more effectively. back to top
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