Futurelawyer

Solo And Small Firms...Are Your Systems Secure?

Cybersecurity Checklist For Small Firms And Solos. We solos and members of small firms can't afford to have a single employee working full time to keep our systems secure from ongoing threats of attack by bad guys. But, there are many things you can do to make your systems unattractive to potential attackers. Think of it as a burglar faced with an unlocked front door, versus one with 3 deadbolt locks. Which will he choose? So, check out LegalFuel from the Florida Bar for tips and tricks to keep your systems secure. Update your software regularly. Image your drives regularly. Use multi-factor authentication everywhere it is available. Read the article for more ideas. It's Saturday, and you have nothing better to do anyway. :-) Right.

CIA Employee Unwittingly Exposes Surveillance Program.

The first rule in covert surveillance is to remain covert. Somebody is going to be looking for a job.

Internet Privacy May Be Dying, But It Isn't Completely Dead Yet.

Google New Privacy Tools. Privacy is still under attack on the Internet; but Google is still fighting the good fight. New privacy tools are making it easier to protect family and personal data and images; but it is up to you to learn about them, and to implement them in your use. Just as locks on doors are useless if you don't use them, Internet privacy tools are only beneficial if you learn how to use them. I have been preaching about multi-factor authentication for years, and I still see messages online about hackers invading user access. Get your act together, and learn about what you can do to ensure your privacy. It is up to you to make yourself a hard target. Most scammers will just move on to easier ones. Be careful out there.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Know Where The Data Is Stored.

I have never really trusted data storage in the cloud. When Software As A Service (SAAS) debuted some years ago, I preached about backing up data that was stored on servers that the firm couldn't see or control. Too many large firms delegated the data storage and security functions, and it was often difficult to locate data stored on servers located in far away places. Contracts with legal software companies need to be thoroughly vetted, and security of data, and ability to access data for the foreseeable future is essential. In addition, since lawyers deal with confidential client data, security becomes an existential issue for the lawyer or law firm. So, lawyers, do you know where you firm data is? Do you know how, and if, it is protected form hackers and prying eyes? Security is Job One. Are your firm members doing the job?

We Are The Florida Bar...And We Are Here To Help You.

Florida Bar Tech Helpline. Relax, this message is not from your government. It is for Florida lawyers, and it exists to answer any question about tech, and its implementation and use in the practice of law by Florida lawyers. You have to sign a Waiver before using it; but it is a great resource if you are challenged by something tech oriented. I am hoping also that it will reduce the number of calls the FutureLawyer gets about the application of technology to the practice of law. Don't get me wrong. Most of the time, I enjoy taking time out of my day to give free tech advices to any lawyer or legal assistant who feels the need to call me. Really. But, I don't have the time to help everyone, and the Bar has set up this helpline for the sole purpose of helping you. Your dues pay for the Florida Bar services. Use them.

Law Firm Cybersecurity - It's Job One.

Legal Fuel - Guide To Law Firm Cybersecurity. Legal Fuel is a great free resource for Florida lawyers, and lawyers everywhere. This free download is a great guide to keeping law firm data secure in the cloud environment where we all live these days. ALPS Insurance provides the guide, which includes just about every cybersecurity risk modern lawyers face. From Vishing to Phising to Password security, to Public WiFi, to Two Factor Authentication, to Ransomware, this is an essential guide to essential knowledge that every lawyer today needs to stay functioning. Print it, read it, and read it again. Forewarned is forearmed. 

Is 5G Living Up To The Hype?

5G Rollout Disappointments. You don't have to be a road warrior lawyer to need fast cellular Internet access. As our lives go faster, and our dependence on broadband Internet increase, the need for speed follows us everywhere: to the courthouse, the grocery store, our relatives' and friends' homes, and everywhere else our busy lives take us. We carry our lives on our phones in our pockets, and slow Internet doesn't get the job done. As 5G cellular access becomes more ubiquitous, however, there are always some problems, just as 4G was, in its infancy. I have added satellite Internet access for my travels, partly because I love adopting new tech; but, also to hedge my bets. In my travels in the RV, I always have options for Internet, and I have yet to face a situation in which both cellular Internet and satellite Internet don't do the job. Of course, there is always RV park WiFi; but, it is notoriously slow, and insecure. I have gotten into the habit of using a VPN everywhere, in order to secure my traffic whatever avenue I am taking to the Net. So, by all means, use your 5G cellular Internet first, before you default to WiFi; and consider adding Starlink to your arsenal. Be a lawyer wherever you are.

 

No, ChatGPT's Progeny Will Not Become Killer Terminator Style Robots. (Unless We Want Them To).

I decided that, given the pundits who are railing about the risk of Artificial Intelligence giving birth to a breed of killer robots like those in the Terminator movies, I would get an answer from the horse's mouth. So, I asked it. I didn't expect, if it were true, that ChatGPT would admit it was designed for human annihilation; but, the answer was cogent, and put the blame for such a development, if it happened, on the humans who design bots. 

"As an AI language model, I am a tool designed to assist users in generating human-like text based on the input provided. I don't have the ability to act independently, make decisions, or have any physical presence in the world. My purpose is to help you with tasks such as answering questions, providing suggestions, and generating text.

The risks associated with AI, especially in the context of autonomous weapons or "killer bots," come from the intentions of the humans who create and deploy these systems, as well as the design and safety measures in place. It's important to ensure that AI technologies are developed responsibly, with proper ethical guidelines and regulations, to mitigate the risks of misuse or unintended consequences.

In short, the risk of me or any AI language model becoming like the killer bots in the Terminator movie is dependent on how the technology is developed, used, and regulated by humans. The AI community, including OpenAI, is actively working on developing safe, ethical AI systems and advocating for responsible AI policies to minimize potential risks."

So, the problem, if there is one, is to regulate the humans who create this stuff. As always with new tech, the use to which it is put is the product of good or evil people. If our destruction is coming, it will be entirely of our own making.

Find My Phone, Please.

Finding your phone when it's turned off - a new Android feature? I have been a fan of Find my phone apps ever since I left mine in a Las Vegas restaurant some years ago. Luckily, I had installed one of the new find my phone apps, Lookout mobile security. When SWMBO and I got back to our hotel, I was frantic. The phone had my life on it, and Las Vegas is not a place where valuables are very safe. Then, I remembered Lookout, and, sitting on the hotel room bed, I powered it up on my laptop. Sure enough, there was my phone, blinking away. It was in the restaurant, and we quickly caught a cab back to the restaurant. Luckily, again, the waiter had taken the phone to the front desk, where a relieved FutureLawyer retrieved it, and vacation was saved. Since that time, Android has incorporated the feature into its phones; but, unless the phone was stolen, it can sit forever in a location never to be found while it is powered down. I have been much better about never leaving the phone lying around; but, a new feature planned for Android will soon be able to locate the phone even if turned off. Of course, this will ruin the plot of many TV shows and movies, because the plot line will no longer be able to rely on the "criminal just turned on the phone" gambit. Oh well. Get creative, TV writers. 

It's Saturday - Do You Know Where Your Essential Files Are?

GoodSync. Lawyers keep a lot of client files and information on their computers these days, along with their own personal files and folders. I have documents I have created since the 1990s, along with financial, photographic, and other stuff that I can't afford to lose. While full disc backup is something we all should do regularly, I have discovered a way to keep all of my essential files backed up, and it only takes a few minutes a day. First, connect a USB external drive or USB stick or micro chip drive to your computer. Then, download a free copy of GoodSync. Then, select all of the files and folders you don't want to lose in a GoodSync project list. Identify the backup drive or stick, and click Analyze. The program will examine both drives, and copy all of the files, including new ones, to the backup. Then, it will sync the files whenever you run the software. Tomorrow? Repeat. Then, in the event of a catastrophic loss, just copy the files to the new computer. I also save my files to the cloud in Google Drive. Be careful out there. Your life is on that machine. It's Saturday - Do You Know Where Your Essential Files Are?