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From its inception, Microsoft has been defining and redefining business. According to History, Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in April of 1975. The company introduced the Windows operating system in 1985. In 1995, it released its web-browser, Internet Explorer. Prior to the Microsoft Ignite 2018 conference for IT developers and professionals, the company announced the expansion of its Dynamics 365 portfolio.

According to Microsoft, the original Dynamics 365 is a “collection of intelligent business applications.” It included a line of customer relationship management (CRM) applications, which were later referred to as a customer engagement plan. It also has an enterprise resource planning (ERP) capability, which is basically a finance and business line.

Dynamics 365 is available in two editions. One is designed for small to medium-sized offices and businesses. The other is more appropriate for medium to large-sized law practices.

What Are the New Additions to Dynamics 365?

Dynamics 365 already offered assistance with accounting and financial management, customer service, field service, operations, and sales, etc. These applications work together seamlessly. Now, however, they can be combined with the following artificial intelligence and mixed reality additions.

• Dynamics 365 AI for Customer Service
• Dynamics 365 AI for Market Insights
• Dynamics 365 AI for Sales
• Dynamics 365 Layout
• Dynamics 365 Remote Assist

The Dynamics 365 Layout and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist are both mixed reality applications. They are not only new, but they are also the first of their kind. The company refers to them as “a whole new kind of business application.”

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is essentially machines that have to use intelligence, such as when computing or analyzing, to perform tasks a human would normally carry out. They also collect data in order to adapt and learn how to do things better. Based on algorithms, statistics, and trends, AI is used to solve problems faster and more accurately than the average person would.

Common, contemporary examples of AI include the following abilities:

• Alexa by Amazon
• Facial recognition on smartphones
• John Paul—the luxury concierge company
• Netflix’s predictive user-preferences feature
• Pandora’s ability to pick user preferences based on 400 musical characteristics
• Siri by Apple
• Tesla’s self-driving feature

This is merely a handful of the many ways that people use AI on a daily basis. Oftentimes, they are completely unaware.

How Are the New Additions to Dynamics 365 Using AI?

Dynamics 365 AI for Customer Service provides firms with Virtual Agents to do some of the typical day-to-day interactions with clients. It also helps collect automated insights from clients to improve future services.

Dynamics 365 AI for Market Insights uses the actionable web and social insights to improve relationships with clients. It detects trends in marketing and social media to assist legal SEO teams to engage in meaningful actions and respond to current dynamics.

Dynamics 365 AI for Sales is used to improve an office’s bottom line by helping associates focus on high-priority endeavors. It provides detailed analysis and answers to frequently asked questions regarding outreach and income.

What Is Meant by Mixed Reality?

Considered the evolution in computer, environment, and human interaction, mixed reality blends the digital world with the physical one. With advances in computer vision, display technology, graphical processing power, and input systems, both holographic and immersive devices are possible.

Holographic devices are those with the ability to virtually place digital content into the real world like it were actually there. Immersive devices, however, are characterized by the ability to create a sense of “reality.” They replace the physical world with a completely digital experience.

How Are the New Additions to Dynamics 365 Using MR?

The two additions to Dynamics 365 that use mixed reality are the Layout and Remote Assist applications. Both are made possible with the use of Microsoft’s HoloLens. This wearable device allows people to interact with content by using gestures, vocal commands, and even their gaze. It provides the immersive experience required for Layout and Remote Assist.

The Dynamics 365 Layout allows users to visualize or even walk through physical space layouts in real-world scale. Potentially, this would be beneficial during a courtroom situation to provide jurors with an accurate depiction of a crime scene for example. It could also be used to assist clients with investment opportunities, etc.

Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is an immersive tool that helps first-line workers trouble-shoot problems in a “hands-free” environment. First-line employees are the ones to engage with clients, such as receptionists and legal support staff, etc. The Remote Assist application allows them to address situations and improve efficiency.

In Conclusion

In a virtual news briefing, Microsoft corporate Vice President Alysa Taylor stated, “We continue to expand our category with AI and mixed reality. We’re taking another step forward on our journey to help empower every organization on the planet to achieve more through the acceleration of business applications.” That they have.

Limited wireless networks are just what they sound like: small networks with limited range that cannot handle the demands of, say, the entire population of a large high school full of students, faculty, and staff all carrying one to three personal devices. Small networks cannot handle the bandwidth demand from multiple classrooms of students streaming videos at approximately the same time while all classrooms report their attendance at the top of the hour and district emails regarding cybersecurity threats go out.

Potential Small Wireless Network Areas:

1. Administrative Offices
2. Small Administrative Office, Small Multimedia Lab/Library, Mobile Computer Lab
3. Any staff that needs to be (literally) mobile/wears multiple hats
4. Very small elementary school. Teachers who are using iPads or something to take attendance. Small schools might make it with a few high-powered wired PCs and Printers, plus a wireless network for the other stuff.
5. Annexed community (e.g. a construction module office or library)

Small networks range from a small administration office with a skeleton staff to several offices, connected printers and copiers, and a couple of dozen devices spread across a tiny school (and that’s stretching it to its limits). Anything more than that and a larger network is necessary.

What is a wireless network?

Wireless networks, or Wi-Fi networks, are networked radio signals that relay information (data) from the internet to devices (laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, etc.). Over the years they have improved to the point that they are as secure, reliable, and fast as most wired networks.

Advantages Of A Small Network

Small schools or contained school communities can benefit by having a faster connection on the limited space. It costs less to install and maintain a small network as well, and its general exclusivity makes it a more secure method to share and receive data.

Certain types of information or use are better on a wired connection. So one of the advantages of using a limited, small wireless network is that in an office with equipment better left on a wired connection, such as a dedicated printer or copier, wireless can be for everyone else, or for other appropriate devices as you see fit.

Where To Start

Like with any project, you must determine the scope, budget, and overall goals. What is this network supposed to be able to do? How many devices should it be able to support, and at what bandwidth? You need to know what your goals are, what the scope of the project is, and the budgeting limitations.

You’ll want your main office, the library, and maybe a small computer lab or mobile lab (cart with laptops) to have Wi-Fi. Any other computers would need to be wired or else you’d have to get a much larger system.

This small Wi-Fi network can be a separate network from the rest of the school, to separate

one network from the other for security or speed purposes, or it can be used in a smaller school, or only by a select group of people.

What Should The Small Network Be Able To Handle?

Think about the demands that each individual might put onto the network. Employees, teachers, students , and guests may be on the network if that’s what your school decides, and they will each have their own needs. In an elementary school, very few students will have their own personal devices on them at all times, and even fewer will be using internet access on those devices. This is why the small network might be all right for a small elementary school but not appropriate for a secondary school, where students often have two-three devices.

Account for at least two devices per employee on the network. They will likely have personal devices such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets that they may want to use in addition to work-provided devices.

Once you have the scope down, you can move on to the next phase: choosing your equipment.

You’ll need:

• Router(s)
• Antenna
• Extender
• Ethernet Cables
• Access Points

In Conclusion

If you have a small school or limited wireless needs to think about, go for the smaller wireless network. It offers convenient connectivity and could also be a way to test the waters on a wireless set-up. Further, elementary schools with fewer unknown devices being brought in could benefit from not wasting money on a monster system too large for the needs of the school. No matter what you decide, make sure that you properly measure the resources that you will need.

Four hospitals – Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General (both teaching hospitals affiliated with the Harvard Medical School), and New York Presbyterian – have been fined by HHS’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for breaches of patient privacy. The takeaway here is that under HIPAA, protected health information extends to photos and films of patients, and permission has to be sought to obtain and make use of either of them.

What, Exactly, Was The Violation?

The violation in each case was allowing film crews from TV shows to film patients and their treatment without first obtaining permission. The total of fines for the four hospitals was $3, 199,000, an average of $799,750 per incident. That’s a chunk of change for even a major teaching hospital.

The first three hospitals listed above said that allowing the filming was not a violation of protected health information (PHI) and that patient consent had been obtained and that they were not liable for any fine. The OCR disagreed and decided that films and photos of patient treatment were, in fact, PHI and that the same HIPAA laws and regulations that cover data breaches applied here. This establishes a precedent that OCR can follow in the future.

Of course, healthcare organizations are proud of the services they provide, and the knee-jerk response of the public relations department will, of course, be to invite the media in when there is something to celebrate. Photos of treatment, films of procedures, and interviews with patients naturally follow. The lesson from the OCR decisions in the cases of these four hospitals is that it’s perfectly okay to do this, provided appropriate patient consent is obtained first.

OCR does not provide a standard form for permission to film or photograph. That will have to be developed by the hospital’s legal department, which should craft the consent, not only with HIPAA in mind but also any applicable state laws covering health care or privacy.

What About Digital Media?

The situation gets more complex if the films or photos are taken or stored using digital media, and that will very often be the case. Once this is done, all of the regulations and laws covering PHI in digital form apply. This gives OCR an opening to expand the fines to cover a double violation, even if the violation(s) stems from the same single incident.

It is worth noting that three of the four hospitals involved made the defense that they had, in fact, obtained patient consent. OCR apparently found that whatever form was used did not meet the HIPAA standards for consent. It should also be noted that under HIPAA, there is a difference between “authorization” and “consent.”

What Is Consent? What’s Authorization?

Authorization is more formal and must involve a signed document. The advice from the legal department is likely to be that there are ambiguities surrounding consent that are not present in the definition of authorization, and that obtaining authorization is always the safer course.

Just as providers have the motto that “if it’s not in the chart, it didn’t happen,” the posture of health care organizations should be “if we don’t have a signed form, consent was not given.” In particular, mere verbal consent is never a sufficient defense—it’s not worth the paper it isn’t printed on. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse provides a good summary of consent versus authorization at How Can Covered Entities Use and Disclose PHI. Remember, in three of the cases discussed above, whatever the hospitals thought was consent was a violation in the eyes of the OCR.

“Health care operations” are generally, but not exclusively, exempt from HIPAA. “Health care operations” is somewhat ambiguous. Generally, the term refers to the activities that healthcare providers regularly engage in to keep the organization in operation – credentialing, billing, accounting, data operations (except handling of PHI) are generally HIPAA exempt.

But there are no necessary parallels between HIPAA and state laws, and “healthcare operations” that are perfectly exempt from HIPAA. Plus, these may be covered by privacy rights under state laws. Again, your legal department is the best authority on this, and if state laws differ from HIPAA, it makes sense for one form to cover both the required federal and state consents. A complete list of the activities covered by the term may be found at 45 Code of Federal Regulations 164.50.

What’s The Takeaway?

The chief takeaway from these four incidents is that common sense, or what appears to be common sense, does not govern here; the law and regulations do. Having good legal advice in any case where there is ambiguity is a good idea. If you are uncertain about what “covered activity” means, then consult your lawyers. You’re paying good money for legal counsel so make use of them.

Are You REALLY Secure? Follow This Checklist To Know For Sure

 

When everything is going well, the last thing you want to do is think about what will happen when something goes wrong.

It can be easy to think that just because you’ve recently bought some new hardware, or updated your security software, or simply the fact that it’s been a while since you had to deal with a major issue.

Don’t let that give you false confidence.

We don’t have to dwell on the potential for disaster though – you and I know that it’s a possibility, so let’s just leave it at that. What’s important about this is that you know to cover your bases. No need to assume the worst – just plan for it, so you know you’re covered.

What Are The Main 3 Areas Of Cybersecurity That You Need To Verify?

As important as cybersecurity is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow this checklist to ensure you have all your bases covered:

• Do you have the necessary range of cybersecurity solutions?
  This is easy – do you have a firewall? Do you have antivirus software? Do you have a spam filter for your email?By investing in these solutions, you can eliminate a vast majority of common cybersecurity threats.
  
• Does your staff follow cybersecurity best practices?

The next step is to make sure your staff is contributing to your cybersecurity, not hurting it. Especially when it comes to their email practices.

Cybercriminals often use email as a way to transmit viruses, ransomware, and other malicious software. Give your staff the following list and have them walk through it when they’re unsure about an email:

• • Do I know the sender of this email?
  • Does it make sense that it was sent to me?
  • Can I verify that the attached link or PDF is safe?
  • Does the email threaten to close my accounts or cancel my cards if I don’t provide information?
  • Is this email really from someone I trust or does it just look like someone I trust? What can I do to verify?
  • Does anything seem “off” about this email, its contents or sender?
    
    
• Do you have an effective backup plan in place?

While these other two points are preventative, in this case, you’re ensuring you have a viable response to when something breaks through your cybersecurity.

In the event that your data is stolen, compromised or encrypted and held at ransom, a recent and regular backup will keep you protected.

And that’s it! Does that sound like a bit too much to handle? The good news is that you don’t have to deal with IT security on your own.

As vital as each one of those tasks is for your security, there is still the problem of making sure they are all done on a regular basis. That’s where a trusted partner in IT support can be so helpful.

By having an expert team of IT security professionals assess your network and manage its many aspects, you can ensure that your technology is secure, without having to see to it yourself.

Be sure to partner with a reliable IT support provider like {company} to make sure all your bases are covered when it comes to your cybersecurity.

There’s a new Gift Card scam going around that has already cost consumers lots of money, frustration, and headaches. Here’s how it works.

You’ll get an email from a friend or relative asking you to go buy them a gift card. The email will say that your friend or relative has been busy or sick and unable to get to the store. Once you get the card for them, they’ll ask you to take a quick photo of the gift card code on the back and send it to them. Once you do this, they can cash out the gift card and you lose your money. It happens just that quickly.

Can You Help Out a Friend?

This scam has been working well for several reasons. Usually, the email comes from someone you know, maybe a sibling, parent, or aunt. Of course, you want to help them out, right? But one thing many consumers don’t realize is just how simple it is to hijack an email account. This is easy work for any hacker worth his salt.

For some reason, people just believe that the email is legit and never take that extra step of calling their friend or relative and just asking them, “Hey, did you send me an email about buying you a gift card?” That’s all it would take to avoid being a victim here.

Instead, most people will run down to Walmart or Target, buy the gift card, take the photo of the code on the back and think they’re doing a great favor for someone.

After you send the pic of the code back to the hacker, they will move very quickly to cash out the gift card and you’ll lose all your money. Later, of course, you’ll learn that your friend did not make such a request and now you feel silly for not double checking. After all, we should we savvier than that as consumers, right?

New Apps Make Scamming Much Easier

Unfortunately, these types of scams have been working well for many years. Plus, new apps like Raise make it easy to turn unused gift card balances into money.

Though victims do sometimes reach out to local police for help, this is actually not a crime. I know that most people are stunned by that news, but it’s true. Because you were a willing participant and you initiated the action with intent, no fraud was committed. So now you’re out the cost of the gift card and there’s really nothing you can do about it.

Just In Time For the Holidays

Authorities are warning consumers that this scam will be prolific all throughout the holidays. That’s why it’s so important to spread the word. Let your friends and family know that if they get a request like this from you or anyone, be sure to stop and call the person. Ask them if they really sent the email asking for a gift card. It only takes a couple of minutes to do this and it can save you $50 or $100 bucks.

Other Scams to Watch Out for During the Holidays

Hackers infamously took over the Rio Summer Olympics a few years back using social engineering to exploit the event. Though some were shocked, social engineering has been around awhile and is used every day to trick business owners. This scam costs Americans millions of dollars each year and hackers find new ways to make their tricks even more effective.

Phishing Scams

Used more frequently than any other, phishing scams have become so widespread that it’s difficult to get accurate results of the losses incurred.

PhishMe is reporting that these scams are growing by at least 65% per year.

Kaspersky Labs claims that during the first quarter of 2018, its anti-phishing system prevented more than 107 million attempts to connect users to malicious websites.

A Barkly reports shows that 85% of companies have fallen victim to this scheme.

How It Works

Phishing scams work relatively easily. It’s not rocket science, as they say. You get a legitimate sounding email that seems to be from your bank or credit card company. These emails often use fear and urgency to make victims take action before double checking the legitimacy of the email.

Below is an example. This scammer claims to be contacting you from Apple. If you check out the “From” address, you can quickly see that it’s not a legitimate Apple email account.

Another big clue is that words are misspelled and the grammar is very poor. You can tell that this email was written by someone (probably from Eastern Europe) who has very bad English skills.

NEVER click the link in a suspicious email like this one. Once you do, the cyber thieves can download malware or ransomware to your computer. They may also redirect you to a site where they steal your banking and credit card information. At the very least, they will steal your log-in information for your Apple account and then hijack it.

Final Tips

In order for consumers to avoid being a victim during the holidays, it’s important to watch out for these types of fraudulent activities. Never click a link in a suspicious email. Instead, open a new browser page and navigate to the website the way you ordinarily would. If there’s something wrong with your Apple account, a bank account or a credit card account, you’ll have a letter in your Inbox explaining what happened and what you need to do.

By using a little common sense and double checking when something feels suspicious to you, we can all avoid being victims this holiday season.

 

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released a public service announcement at the end of September 2018, alerting companies about the risks of allowing RDP endpoints to be exposed online. The IC3, a division of The US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), is sending out the alarm to U.S. businesses about their concerns that millions of RDP endpoints are visible online and susceptible to manipulation.

What is RDP?

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is a Microsoft registered technology created in the 90s that permits a user to log into a remote computer and interact with its OS through a visual interface that gives the remote user access to its mouse and keyboard input. The remote desktop was designed for a computer technician to be able to help a customer who had limited or remote access.

RDP access is hardly ever enabled on home computers, but sometimes it is turned on for workplaces in enterprise networks or for computers situated in distant locations. RDP conveniently allows system administrators to access the computer, without physically having the computer in front of them.

Why is IC3 Concerned?

In its September press release, the FBI states that the number of computers with an RDP connection left open on the Internet has gone up dramatically since 2016. IC3 is observing numbers and trends by cyber-security firms in the past few years that are alarming.

ZDNet reported that Rapid7, a multi-product analytics and automation company, has seen nine million devices with port 3389 (RDP) opened on the Internet in early 2016, and then suddenly rose to over 11 million by the end of 2017.

Also, IC3 is seeing a steady stream of incident reports where hackers have acquired initial traction into victims’ networks through the computers with an open RDP connection.

The Rise of Ransomware Attacks

Over the past three years, a cluster of ransomware families were particularly designed to access a network by hackers who jumped in through an open RDP server.

Ransomware particularly designed to be infiltrated via RDP involves strains such as LockCrypt, Horsuke, CryptON, SynAck, Scarabey, Bit Paymer, Xpan, RSAUtil , Crysis, Samas (SamSam), Globe, DMA Locker, Apocalypse, LowLevel, Bucbi, Aura/BandarChor, Smrss32 and ACCDFISA.

How Do Companies Secure Themselves Before It’s Too Late?

IC3 has collaborated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and published a report for companies to use to ensure RDP security.

Six Ways to Improve the Security of Network Infrastructure Devices

The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) has published six security measures for companies to ensure safety for their network.

• Segment and Segregate Networks and Functions

Security engineers should study the overall layout of their framework, which includes both segregation and segmentation. A successful security tool for accurate network segmentation is to stop a hacker from spreading abuses or the ability to laterally move through an internal network. If the network is inadequately segmented, intruders can easily spread their control of analytical devices as well as obtain entrance into sensitive data. A securely segregated network can restrict malicious incidences and reduce the effect that intruders can have if they gain a foothold inside the network.

• Limit Unnecessary Lateral Communications

Permitting unprotected communications between colleagues involving a workstation-to-workstation situation sets up grave weaknesses. This can permit a network hacker easy access to spread their attack to multiple systems. Once penetrated, the attacker can create backdoor manipulation throughout the network. When a hacker has backdoor access, they have an easier time of maintaining their presence inside the network and keeping users from removing the intruder.

• Harden Network Devices

A basic way to boost a company’s network infrastructure security is to protect networking devices with secure designs. The best practice for a company is to implement the recommendations that government agencies, organizations, and vendors resource. Their guidance allows a business to be safe and stay within site security policies, and industry practices.

• Secure Access to Infrastructure Devices

A company can give administrative freedom to allow specific users access to data and resources that are not broadly obtainable by the general public or all employees. Limiting these administrative privileges for infrastructure tools is vital for security because hackers will infiltrate administrative privileges that are inadequately approved.

Ways to secure access for infrastructure devices include having a multi-factor authentication process to confirm a user’s identity and closely monitor and manage the user’s access.

• Perform Out-of-Band Management

Out-of-Band (OoB) management incorporates different contact paths that remotely manage your network infrastructure devices. These devoted communication paths can differ in configuration to involve areas such as physical separation and virtual tunneling. In applying for OoB access, it will strengthen your security by restricting access and dividing user traffic from the network management traffic.

• Validate The Integrity of Hardware and Software

Products purchased and downloaded through unauthorized channels are more than likely a reproduction or inferior in their use. Several media outlets have reported the use of grey market hardware and software in the workplace. Unlawful hardware and software cause the users’ information to be at risk. Because they have not been carefully tested to meet superior standards, grey market products can present risks to the network. These risks can lead to breaches in the supply chain and allow opportunities for malicious software and hardware to be installed unbeknownst to the user. Compromised hardware and software can affect the network and give away the confidential and valuable information. Companies should regularly check the integrity of software.

 

As technology continues to become more widely used in the legal sector, it is apparent that even the most traditional offices should adapt. Technological advances, however, are occurring quickly. Not all attorneys and legal support staff are equally prepared to manage these new systems themselves. They do not, necessarily, require an entire IT department. This is where the right managed services provider (MSP) can be instrumental.

Managed service providers are companies that manage their clients’ IT infrastructure remotely. These are generally set up as a subscription per-device, per-user, or all-inclusive plan. Since providers have access to sensitive information, it is vital that the decision regarding which to choose is made carefully. Consider the following before searching for the right provider.

Why Would a Law Office Benefit from Having a Managed Services Provider?

Outsourcing IT management would reduce the stress and effort of maintaining the devices and network required to run a law office. Along with streamlining the day to day operations, a managed service provider will increase efficiency. For example, it would provide the following:

• Adaptability to technological innovations
• Access to advice, knowledge, and skills
• Better business continuity and service
• Better operations
• Improved regulatory compliance
• Increased efficiency
• Increased IT security infrastructure
• Reduced costly, technology-related risks
• Streamlined operations

Although initially, it will add to the operating expenses, with the increase in efficiency it will reduce expenses over time.

Why Should Law Offices Choose an MSP with Industry Experience?

As with any service or product, the number of years it has existed indicates how well it can be expected to perform. Therefore, a more experienced provider is likely to have been tried and tested. Mistakes have already been made and solutions discovered. They have become seasoned professionals. Seeking a managed services company that has been around for a while reduces the chances that they are still figuring things out.

Be choosy. A qualified managed services provider may be capable of handling a new business with expertise. An industry-specific provider will handle it better. The legal profession is a highly-specialized vocation. It has a precise nomenclature and failure to use the correct word or phrase could result in big trouble.

An IT with legal experience is better suited to managing the services of a law office than an IT with a more general history. Choosing a provider with legal experience ensures they are able to anticipate potential issues, as well as understand the practice’s operational needs.

Why Should You Select a Provider with an In-House Network Operations Center?

Many managed service providers decrease the cost of their overhead by outsourcing their Network Operations Center (NOC). Although this may be fine for many companies, it could present problems for a heavily-regulated business like a law office. With the strict regulatory mandates, it is necessary to ensure that not only does the service provider adhere to them, but that their third-party NOC does, as well.

What Is Meant by Quality of Service When Comparing Managed Service Providers?

Determine whether potential providers outsource or handle service aspects in-house. If they handle in-house, inquire into their staffing levels. Do they have established procedures for various tasks? Do they have enough personnel to troubleshoot problems for clients?

A high-quality managed services company should also be able to have reasonable response times. They should offer accurate estimates for how long it takes for them to fix various problems that may arise in the future.

What Is the Importance of Innovation and Scalability?

Choosing a provider that adopts the most recent technology and offers the newest services ensures the office remains contemporary. An innovative IT managed services provider is able to use the latest strategies to address daily operations, as well as any potential problems that arise. This provides an edge over other, less modern law practices.

Additionally, when comparing MSPs, it is a good idea to address scalability. Like any company, a law practice is liable to grow and change. The right service provider should be able to accommodate this expansion. They should have enough experience that they can answer how they would handle these issues based on how they have in the past.

In Conclusion

Whether it’s a new practice or a well-established partnership, most law offices could benefit from hiring a managed service provider for their Information Technology. By following these suggestions, savvy lawyers can select the right provider for their needs. Along with the many other perks, it helps ensure attorneys and office support staff have more time to focus on other, more important aspects of their jobs.

 

Facebook Was Breached

Were You Or A Facebook Friend Affected?

Facebook has confirmed that more than 50 million user accounts have been breached. They made the announcement today, Friday, September 28th.  However, their engineering team discovered the security breach back on Tuesday, September 25th, 2018. They tell us that the vulnerability has been fixed and the breach was reported to the appropriate authorities.

How Did This Happen?

Hackers stole users’ access tokens through Facebook’s “view as.” This is a feature that lets you view what your profile looks like to other Facebook users. The flaw in this feature allowed hackers to take over 50 million user accounts.

If you’re like me, you may have received notices from some of your Facebook friends this week that someone took control of their accounts.  Perhaps they were affected by this breach.

What Are Access Tokens?

These are the digital keys that keep us logged in so we don’t need to re-enter our password every time we use Facebook. With this information, hackers can take over our account.

Here’s how Facebook explains what happened:

“Attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code that impacted ‘View As,’ a feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else. This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people’s accounts.”

What Now?

Facebook reset the tokens of all those affected. They also logged off 40 million additional users as a precaution. If you are one of these people, you’ll need to log back in the next time you use Facebook.

According to Facebook, their investigators are in the early stages of their investigation. They are temporarily turning off the “View As” feature while they conduct a thorough security review

What Should You Do?

If you have trouble logging back into Facebook, or you forgot your password, visit Facebook’s Help Center.

If you’re like me, you take extra precautions when you hear about breaches like this.  If you want, you can visit the “Security and Login” section in Facebook settings. It lists the places where you’re logged into Facebook with a one-click option. If you choose, you can log out of them all.

The September update of Office 365 includes some major additions and changes to tools such as Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, and Excel, just to name a few. It is important to keep up with these developments, so here is a list of the major advancements of which you need to be aware.

Microsoft Teams: Skype, Selective Do Not Disturb, Wiki App

Many users have been looking forward to the day when Skype is integrated into Microsoft Teams, and that day has finally come. You can now use Microsoft Teams for cloud-based meetings that can have up to 250 participants, powerful messaging features, and some awesome calling features.

One of the most practical additions to Microsoft Teams is to set up a selective Do Not Disturb status so that some people can still feel free to reach you (e.g., your supervisor or manager).

It’s simple to setup: Click on your avatar, Settings, Privacy, and then select the individuals who you still want to receive notifications from.

Another one of the new updates in Microsoft Teams is the Wiki app, which can be accessed through the left-hand navigation panel using the More Apps ellipsis. This app allows you to see the wiki pages you are a part of, keep track of your own private notes, and see the notes you’ve most recently been editing.

PowerPoint: Embedded Fonts

Have you ever prepared a presentation on one computer and had it looking just perfect, only to open it up on another computer and the fonts looked totally different? There is a way to keep this from happening: embedding the fonts in the PowerPoint deck when you save it.

Go to Save As > Browse > and then go to the Tools drop-down box in the bottom corner of the dialog box. In the Tools drop-down, click on Save options. Toward the bottom of the box that pops up, you will see an option to “Embed fonts in the file.” Check that box, then click OK and save as you normally would.

This option used to be only available on Windows devices, but the new update of Office 365 also makes it available on Office for Mac for Office Insiders. To access it on a Mac, go to the PowerPoint menu and click on Preferences, then Save. The Font Embedding option will be in the dialog box that appears.

Excel: Flow Integration

Microsoft Flow has been integrated with Excel, and is accessible via an Excel add-in. This will allow you to connect your data to services like Microsoft Teams, Twitter, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, Office 365, and more. You will be able to create and trigger on-demand flows for selected rows in spreadsheets that are hosted on OneDrive for Business or in SharePoint.

With this integration that uses the ‘For a selected row trigger’ and the Flow launch panel, you can create and trigger on-demand flows for selected rows in any Excel table on spreadsheets hosted in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business.

Access: Improved Visualization Tools

Users have been requesting more visualization tools for their data contained in Access, and that is exactly what Microsoft has provided. Not only have charts been made easier and more intuitive to create, but additional chart types have also been added. For power users who developed their own Active-X solutions to the challenge of creating charts for forms and reports, their solutions will continue to work.

Power BI: Export to PDF

This is another update that came about as a result of user feedback: the ability to export Power BI reports in PDF format where they can be shared with others. This will only be available in the desktop version of Power BI for right now.

Microsoft has also added an “Ask A Question” to the Power BI Desktop which will be globally available in the client. What this means is that you can use natural language queries to explore your data and allow report users to ask their own questions.

SharePoint: More Granular Control for IT Admins

In previous releases, if a group of users was not allowed to create Office 365 groups, they would be limited to creating Classic SharePoint sites. They could not create modern SharePoint sites. The new release has changed this: the IT administrator determines who can create classic SharePoint sites, who can create modern SharePoint sites, and who can create Office 365 groups.

Security

Microsoft Cloud App Security is a powerful tool that evaluates every app used in terms of industry-specific standards, compliance, and regulatory certifications. The goal of this is to make sure that your company can make informed decisions on the type of apps that are most appropriate for not only your needs, but your security. This new release also checks for GDPR compliance and can generate a C-level report on critical findings.

Conclusion

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the new features and changes available in the September update of Office 365, it does present the ones that are going to have the greatest impact. However, it’s always a good idea to be cognizant of new developments even if they don’t directly impact your daily work.

After decades of avoiding the use of innovative technologies, many law firms are implementing IT into their operating procedures to streamline their services. Clients have demanded more convenient interactions with their counsel. Additionally, with extensive amounts of data, firms need to keep pace with ever-changing legal regulations. They must remain in compliance and address perceived incidents rapidly. The legal sector has responded by striving to catch up with contemporary automated methods that other fields have used for years.

As with any other endeavor, some offices have adapted more quickly than others. Presented in no particular order, here are several law firms that are leaders in their use of technology.

Akerman LLP

A subscription-based product, Akerman Data Law Center uses Thomson Reuters research and Neota Logic Software to provide automated legal advice in response to data breaches. In fact, in December of 2017, former CEO Andrew Smulian was named a Top 10 North American Innovator in Financial Times.

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Jackson Lewis P.C. has more than 200 lawyers named to the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. It has also been named by “Working Mother Magazine” as one of the “Best Law Firms for Women.” It is no surprise that the firm uses cutting-edge technology.

Jackson Lewis has developed workthruIT ®, which is an award-winning, online tool suite and digital solution to workplace regulation challenges. It also takes security seriously. The firm works with a third-party security provider to offer services to assist small and mid-sized companies. It focuses on addressing and rectifying data breaches.

Allen & Overy

Allen & Overy partnered with two other law firms to forward open standards around smart contracts through the Accord Project. Promoting collaboration between attorneys, clients, and technology companies, Fuse (the firm’s technology hub) has supported over eight start-up businesses. In fact, with its involvement in a range of legal technological improvements, it is somewhat of an incubator for innovation.

Drinker Biddle & Reath

One of the first firms to implement technology to streamline its daily operations, Drinker Biddle & Reath introduced the role of Chief Data Scientist in 2015. Since that time, it has added the following:

• Analytics for client data and business advising
• Predictive data models
• Tritura Information Governance, its own e-discovery operations

Drinker Biddle & Reath is truly one of the legal trend-setters, leading the way.

Perkins Cole LLP

Along with serving technically astute companies, such as amazon, Avvo, and Netflix, Perkins Cole LLP uses IT to improve customer service for its legal clients. The firm developed the webinar series “Understanding the Legal Implications for Artificial Intelligence,” for algorithm training. It also partnered with Elevate to create a platform for patent prosecution management. These are just a couple of ways Perkins Cole continues to push the envelope.

Baker & Hostetler

The innovative firm of Baker & Hostetler has been on the cutting-edge of technology integration. Along with its involvement in the Accord Project, which promotes open standards around smart contracts, this firm offers webinars on the following topics:

• Artificial Intelligence: How to Leverage IT in Your Legal Department
• Blockchain and the Manufacturing Industry
• GDPR Compliance – Employees, DPI Assessments, and M&A Transactions

The firm’s clients also benefit from the Ransomware Response Team that addresses cybersecurity threats.

Crowell & Moring

A committee of 11 attorneys and 40 core members of consultants and technologists work with Crowell & Moring’s Digital Transformation group. Among other areas, the firm’s expansive approach includes the following:

• Artificial intelligence
• Cybersecurity
• Robotics

The client-facing group focuses on autonomous, automated technologies to improve security and streamline processes.

Slaughter and May

A review from Chambers, U.K. in 2012 states that, “Commentators say the firm is an ideal choice for innovative and valuable work, and it is known for its ability to devise new structures to satisfy the complex needs of its clients.”

One of the first legal investors in AI, Slaughter and May entered the market with Luminanace in 2016. Since then, it has continued in a leadership role promoting the responsible deployment of AI in business. At the same time, it has grown an impressive list of law firm clients.

Winston & Strawn LLP

Choosing to take on the bulk of its operations in-house, Winston & Strawn has been handling its own e-discovery since 2015. With increased success and confidence, the firm developed a full-service consultancy. It created a data-centric practice to work its way into the analytics space. In fact, according to The American Lawyer, 30-percent of its projects are for lawyers working outside of the Winston & Strawn law firm.

In Conclusion

Some companies create technology in an effort to keep all research and discovery in-house. Others have branched out to consult and address data breaches for attorneys around the world. From building out applications for compliance to pay equity, or developing programs for streamlined communication and data maintenance, innovative legal firms are leading the way with their successful implementation of technology.