Tips Tuesday

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on technology, research and practice.

Technology

Computers Running Windows XP SP3 or Office 2003 Must Be Updated Immediately
Dan Pinnington

I have harped on this before, but nothing like a pending deadline to spur the procrastinators amongst us into action…
As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will cease supporting Windows XP SP3 (Service Pack 3) and Office 2003 (SP3). After this date there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates from Microsoft for either of these products. Your computer will still operate and Office 2003 programs will winxplogostill run, but if you continue to use Windows XP or Office 2003, you will be more vulnerable to security risks including harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal your personal information or destroy your data. . . .

Research

Use 3rd Party Sites
Shaunna Mireau

I absolutely love resources like legisalture and parliament websites that offer details about current and historical legislation and it’s progress. I also love government websites that offer the full text of various government publications. Sometimes those sites don’t offer the quick way to exactly what you need. . . .

Practice

10 Tips for Protecting Your Firm Against Cybercriminals That Target Lawyers
David Bilinsky & Garry Wise

Thanks largely the excellent work being done at Avoid a Claim blog by LawPro, Ontario lawyers’ professional liability insurer, we now receive ongoing updates about cybercrime, and in particular, criminal efforts to target law firms and steal from lawyers’ bank accounts. A post last week by Tim Lemieux provided a splendid, nuts and bolts roadmap on the steps fraudsters took to steal several hundred thousands of dollars from a law firm trust account. It all began with a phishing email that duped a firm’s unwitting bookkeeper into providing its bank account numbers by telephone directly to the bad guys. . . .