Is Google Drive Secure for Lawyers? (Cloud Storage Security)

In the current age of digital technology, there is no dearth of options for the storage of files. With hardware devices of various storage capacities, people have choices to store files and folders of almost any size. But the majority of people prefer online storage options to access and share files easily. When it comes to online storage options, Google Drive tops the list of options.

Is Google Drive for Lawyers a safe storage option for law firms? This is a common question to which the majority of law firms seek an answer. They do so for a good reason, though. A law firm needs to store an enormous number of legal documents and resources online for accessing and retrieving them promptly. Therefore, a law firm needs to know how far it can rely on Google Drive as a secure storage solution.

Is Google Drive for Lawyers the Right Choice for a Law Firm?

A law firm follows a similar approach to other kinds of firms when it comes to cost-saving. The cost factor is an important aspect that influences the majority of the decisions of a firm. Using Google Drive as the default file storage and sharing option enables a law firm to cut down its costs for hosting files.

Also, because it can be accessed on the internet, it provides the luxury of portability. Lawyers need to be able to access legal documents as and when they want. Google Drive ticks all the right boxes of requirements in this respect.

However, alongside these benefits, a law firm also prioritizes security among its top priorities. So, can lawyers rely on the security features of Google Drive? Yes, they can bank on it. But for an individual attorney, it is important to ensure they use it in the right way.

As far as using Google Drive in the right way is concerned, its meaning can be different for lawyers and other users. Because lawyers deal with legal cases, they are required to maintain the confidentiality of their clients and their data. Any breach in the security layer of a lawyer can change the complexion of a case altogether.

Oftentimes, cyber criminals such as hackers are on the look for an opportunity to steal data on the internet. The first thing they target is a Google account. So, at the time of preparing a document or a newsletter for law firm internet marketing, a lawyer needs to adopt the best practices of using Google Drive.

Best Practices for Lawyers to Secure their Data on Google Drive

• A lawyer must try to secure the privacy settings of their Google account as much as they can.
• They should enable the two-factor authentication feature to increase an extra layer of security to their documents and resources.
• Attorneys must refrain from using passwords that are easy to guess. Hackers leave no stone unturned to get into the accounts that do not have a strong password. As a standard rule, one should set and use a password that involves, letters, numbers and special characters.
• It is a good idea not to disable the synchronization option all the time and sync all the files at once in a day.
• Third-party applications come across as extensions and are available across various categories. But not all are at par when it comes to the security feature. A lawyer should consider disabling all third-party options. Better yet, they should not consider downloading or installing the extensions. “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” as the saying goes.
• Some firms that use Google Drive extensively consider the option of sharing files outside the business domain. This may be a good idea for firms that operate in collaboration with other companies but not for the companies that provide legal services. It can put the confidentiality and security of files and the information of such firms.
• Google offline storage is a great feature that makes it possible for users to use it even when they do not have access to the internet. While it may not necessarily pose a direct threat to any file or folder, it increases the chances of storing files inadvertently. Unauthorized users can access it later on.

Final thoughts

How secure is Google Drive for law firms? The answer to this question depends on how an individual attorney uses it to access all its features. Google has all the security systems in place for all its products. Also, it updates its security features from time to time. But it is up to the users, lawyers, in this case, to follow the best practices of using Google Drive. This is the sure-fire way of keeping their data safe and secure from the prying eyes of hackers and other cybercriminals.