Archives for December 2016

Excerpt: They conducted the interview with me a couple of weeks ago and we talked about a variety of topics, including: automation as an emerging trend in eDiscovery, debate and the state of technology assisted review (TAR) today, the emergence of SaaS automation solutions, where attorneys are today in embracing technology, as well as other trends in eDiscovery and “gotchas” to watch out for.  And, of course, I talk about the joys of writing a daily blog!

About the ALA: “ALA is the undisputed leader for the business of law, focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. We identify and provide solutions to the most strategic and operational challenges our members and customers face today, while we prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow.”

See more here: http://www.alacapchap.org/index.php

Sharon Nelson and John Simek’s article, “Security Fatigue and Its Impact on Law Firm Security” was featured recently in Slaw Magazine. Slaw is a Canadian online legal magazine.

Excerpt: People are inherently lazy. After all, why do something today that you can put off until tomorrow? Users hate to do anything that would slow down their access to their computer or data. That means they would much rather just sit at a keyboard and start to surf the Internet instead of entering logon credentials and then entering a second factor. How many times have you been tired of the constant password changes only to resort to using one you know you’ll remember and have previously used? Didn’t feel like creating a new account so passed on that online purchase? You are not alone.

A recent study from the National Institute of Technology (NIST) found that the majority of typical computer users experience security fatigue, which leads to risky computing behavior at work and in their personal lives. Security fatigue is defined as a reluctance or weariness to deal with computer security. So what does this mean for law firms? A balanced approach is the way to go. If you make things too difficult for the users, they will find ways around the security measures.

See the article here.

Sensei is excited to be a Gold Sponsor of the College of Law Practice Management’s Futures Conference next year. The Futures Conference features multiple educational panels comprised of leading experts focused on topics about the future of law. Next year’s conference will be titled, “Running With the Machines: Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems in the Practice of Law.” Also, our very own Sharon Nelson is a co-chair of the conference along with Mark Tamminga.

Stay tuned for more information, but for now, you can check out COLPM’s website here: http://collegeoflpm.org/

1. Our first prediction is that no one will know what cybersecurity will look like until the Trump presidency is well underway. Mr. Trump is an unknown. If what he says is true, he does not value privacy in the context of what he sees as the fight against ISIS and others – and this does not bode well for the Constitution. Mind you, we were not happy with some of the privacy invasions which took place under Mr. Obama’s administration.
2. Ransomware will get ever MORE crafty – and ransoms, which have gone up sharply in 2016, are likely to go even higher. It is not unusual at this point to see bitcoin ransoms in the $2500 range where law firms are compromised.
3. The media has begun to report that the luster is off Apple and we believe that trend will continue. The truly innovative days of Steve Jobs appear to be gone. We have seen many clients switch from iPhones to Androids and embrace the Surface Pro.
4. An increasing focus on tech CLEs seems likely. Florida, in 2016, mandated tech CLEs and we, in Virginia, have seen VSB TECHSHOW (capped at 500 attendees) sell out twice – and we expect to see it fully sold out again in April of 2017 – there is a great hunger among lawyers for good tech CLEs by speakers they can understand.
5. We expect more major IoT breaches of personally identifiable information. We are at the point where it may cause actual physical harm or a huge financial impact.
6. Continued implementation of encryption everywhere is very likely. Encryption by default is now standard in so many places.
7. We predict, sadly, that a lot of solo and small practitioners will find that they are not selling what clients want to buy – primarily lower prices when technology is effectively leveraged.
8. We also expect to see a greater usage of client portals – another way of protecting confidential data – and a feature that clients absolutely love.
9. Block chain technology will begin to make inroads in the legal process as a method of authentication.
10. Lawyers will increasingly understand that they must “fish where the fish are” – in social media. We have seen a great interest in CLEs which teach attorneys how to effectively manage and leverage social media.