Mobile Phone Security Basics for Lawyers
By Richard Link of FindLaw
If you use a mobile phone as part of your law practice, you need to be concerned about what could happen if someone steals it or you otherwise lose it. It’s not a theoretical problem: in 2011, U.S. consumers lost more than $30 billion worth of cell phones, according to mobile security provider Lookout. Also consider the Smartphone Honey Stick Project, a study commissioned by the information security company Symantec, which revealed that 96 percent of the phones it purposefully “lost” in major cities were accessed by the finders, 83 percent were accessed for corporate related apps and information, and only 50 percent of the finders contacted the owner and provided contact information. In light of these unsurprising findings, you’re treading on dangerous ground if you fail to take steps to secure your phone against unauthorized access. Bear in mind that most codes of professional responsibility require you to safekeep your clients’ “property”–arguably including their data–at all times. <READ MORE>