Technology Use Policies and Resources

The December 2013 issue of LAWPRO Magazine focuses on the issue of cybersecurity and law firms. As a supplement to the magazine, practicePRO has added a number of model policies and articles to our Technology page. Written policies that clearly establish guidelines and requirements governing the acceptable use of firm technology can help reduce cyber exposures and give staff clear direction on what they are permitted and not permitted to do with law firm technology resources.

These resources and sample policies can be adapted to create polices for your firm. The model policies are also available in Word and RTF formats.

• Model Technology Usage Policy: This general policy discusses the appropriate firm computing and information resources.
• Model Electronic Document Handling Policy: This policy addresses the best practices for the handling, delivery, and exchange of electronic documents.
• Model Portable Device Security, Privacy and Usage Policy: This policy gives direction on steps to be taken to address the security issues raised by the use of portable devices (e.g., laptops, smartphones, etc.)
• Social Media Policy Template from Jaffe PR: A sample policy along with a good overview of how to deal with social media issues.
• Social Media and Social Networking Model Policy from the Law Society of British Columbia
• Social Media Guide for Lawyers: This guide, published by Meritas, provides a narrative and sample policy.
• Backup Best Practices and Strategies: A paper that provides advice on the steps law firms should take to properly backup their data.