5 Tech Issues Lawyers Should Be Prepared to Discuss With Clients

You're an attorney, not the IT guy, and when it comes to most tech issues, clients usually know to go to (nerdier) experts. But with so many tech problems having legal implications today, you still have to be versed in common tech issues.

To help you out, here are five tech issues almost every lawyer should be ready to discuss with their clients, taken from the FindLaw archives.

1. Why eDiscovery's Explosion Doesn't Mean 'Collect Everything'

The eDiscovery market is booming, fueled in part by massive increases in data collection and retention. Experts predict that data generation will grow fourfold by 2020, hitting 35 zettabytes in just a few years. And more and more of that data will find its way into civil litigation. But hanging on to every scrap of electronically stored information might not be necessary, or even wise. Here's why.

2. Is Your Email Secure Enough for Client Communications?

Email is simply how most things get communicated these days, but it's hardly the most secure way to handle business. Emails can be hacked, tracked, stolen, and tainted, and, in some cases, attorneys can be held responsible for any resultant losses. So make sure that you discuss email security, and email alternatives, with clients before you find yourself on the wrong end of a hack, leak, or breach of confidentiality

3. 5 Reasons Why Encryption Won't Be Enough to Protect Your Data

Everyone wants to keep their personal, digital information safe from prying eyes. End-to-end encryption is a good way to start. But if clients are concerned about protecting their data, you might want to remind them that encryption is no sure thing. According to research from Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, data protection like encryption won't be enough to ensure that information is kept private.

4. Social Media Oversharing Makes It Easier to Collect, Seize Assets

No one needs to hack your private information when it's all over Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Clients' social media oversharing, the compulsion to document one's life all over the social media, is increasingly being used against them in court.

5. Should Lawyers Urge Clients to Take Action on Cybersecurity?

We don't have to convince you that cybersecurity needs to be taken seriously. But you may have to convince your clients. And when they don't bring cybersecurity concerns to you directly, should you bring them up yourself? Here's what some lawyers think.

Related Resources:

• 3 Signs You (or Your Colleagues) Are Luddite Lawyers (FindLaw's Technologist)
• Will Snapchat's New Glasses Be the Privacy Disaster Google Glass Was? (FindLaw's Technologist)
• Clients Want Artificial Intelligence and They Want It Soon-ish (FindLaw's Technologist)