Solving the Problem of Sending Sensitive Files via Email
June 19, 2009
A common problem for law firms (and for businesses in general) that is getting increasingly more attention these days is how to share files and documents between people – such as between a lawyer and a client, or between members of a team that are not physically in the same office. (Such sharing is often described as collaboration.)
The classic approach to this – and the one most people probably think of first – is to simply email the files to whomever needs them, have them edit the files, and then email them back. This method is relatively easy and popular because most people already know how to use email.
However, increasing privacy and data protection laws, as well as the increased risk of identity fraud (a.k.a. “identity theft”) have made many people re-think the classic approach of emailing files around.
This is because there are lots of downsides to using email to share files:
- Sending a large number of files is cumbersome
- Different email providers all have different limits on the maximum size of attached files
- Email has no “security” built in – because emails are sent “in the clear” they can potentially be intercepted and read, or even modified
- Sharing files with multiple people for collaboration (shared editing) is basically impossible
- Some people are trained to avoid opening attachments because of past experiences with viruses
- Some email programs (notably Microsoft Outlook) just flat-out block certain types of attached files
Part of the problem is that sending files via email is simply not what email was originally meant for. Email was originally “text only” – the ability to “attach” files to email was not originally part of the email specification. In fact, attachments were sort of “grafted” on much later – circa 1996, in fact.
Fortunately, there are better options for sharing files instead of email – and they are just as easy to use. You just need to know about them.
There are several “file sharing” websites and services available these days – precisely because of the need to share files without sending them through email. We’ve picked out two that are a good match for law firms and other small businesses: Box.net and drop.io.
(Full disclosure: we are not affiliated with these companies in any way – we have picked these two based on the merits of the services they provide.)
Both of these websites offer the same basic service: upload your file (or files) to their server (protected with a password if you wish) and then get a link you can give to other people so that they can get the file. Basically, both of these websites are acting like digital “drop boxes.”
Both websites offer a “free” service that is limited in the number of files you can save, and both offer a paid service that gives you a lot of space to store files (useful if you’re sending big files – like videos or audio transcriptions – back & forth). 
Both of these services allow you to organize the files you upload, control what access people have to them (for example, you might want to give someone only the permission to download the file, but not to re-upload it back), and set “expiration dates” for the “drops” that you create. All of these options give you incredible control over how you end up sharing files and documents with your clients and with other firms.
These services are managed via the web, so you can upload files from wherever you are. And because they are both web-based, you don’t have to worry about whether the person with whom you are trying to share files has a PC, a Mac, or whatever. If they can get on to the Internet, they can get the files.
The best parts of these services, though, are that they provide you with a simple, secure, safe, and controlled way to share documents, forms, and other files with your clients or other law firms – without exposing yourself to the potential problems that come with sending things via email. And you can do all this very easily from a web site, without needing to have an IT person come in and set it up for you – which is a real bonus in these tough economic times.
If you send documents back & forth frequently via email – especially confidential or sensitive documents – you really should check out one of these type of services. They may just end up saving you from a lot of trouble later on down the road.
Icon courtesy of the Crystal Icon Set. Box.net and drop.io logos are trademarks of their respective companies.
Keeping Your Clients’ Data Safe
March 4, 2009
We all know that it’s important to protect sensitive information, but with so much information these days stored in our computers (in files, databases, emails, etc.), it can be hard to know how to protect these digital files adequately. In this article, we’re going to talk about easy steps you can take to protect sensitive client information – client’s names, Social Security or Tax ID numbers, etc. – and the documents that may contain such information.
With the increasingly worrisome trend of “identity theft” (which might be more accurately described as “identity fraud”), comes the need to take steps to reduce the risk of personal information being stolen and used fraudulently. Many states (including Massachusetts) have or are beginning to pass laws to address this issue – but ultimately, if you take and store this sort of information, the responsibility for protecting it is on you.
First off, it’s worth knowing what sort of personal information might be saved, and where on your computer it is saved:
- TurboLaw Document Software stores client’s names, addresses, and in some cases, Social Security or Tax ID numbers. This information is stored both in TurboLaw’s database file and in any document or form you create that calls for that information.
- TurboLaw Time and Billing, on the other hand, does not ask for any personal information beyond a client’s name and address.
So, what can you do to protect this information? There are many different ways you can protect information, but here are some of the simplest:
Using Microsoft Windows Encrypting File System
Microsoft Windows itself has something built-in that can help you. Windows (2000 or later) has a feature called the Encrypting File System. This feature allows you to “encrypt” files on your computer, so that if your computer is (for example) stolen, the person who stole it won’t be able to read the encrypted files.
This method is generally best for when you have a (relatively) small number of files you need to protect, and you know where those files are located on your computer.
Below are two articles which describe how to use this feature and some “best practices” for using it:
- How to encrypt a file in Windows XP (the method described is similar in Windows 2000 and Windows Vista)
- Best practices for the Encrypting File System
It is worth noting that this method of protecting your files is only as strong as the password you use on your computer – if you don’t use a password, or if you use a simple, short password, then your files will not be very secure. A full discussion of choosing a good password is beyond the scope of this article, but you can read some tips and suggestions in this article: Strong Passwords: How to create and use them.
Knowing this, and knowing that you can click the “View” menu in TurboLaw and choose “TurboLaw Status” to see where TurboLaw is currently saving your database and case documents, you can encrypt that folder (as well as any other folders on your computer where you store documents that might contain sensitive information) and know that your data is protected.
Using Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption
If you have Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the “Ultimate” or “Enterprise” editions only), then you have another built-in option called BitLocker Drive Encryption.
This is what is known as “whole disk encryption,” and it’s a bit more complicated than just encrypting a few files using the Encrypting File System mentioned above. BitLocker Drive Encryption, as its name suggests, encrypts your entire hard drive, so that if your computer is stolen, the thief will be unable to read anything at all from your hard drive (as opposed to just not being able to read the specific files you encrypted).
This method is generally best for when you know you have sensitive data in many places in your computer (perhaps stored in many different programs), but you aren’t exactly sure where the data is specifically saved on your disk. By encrypting the entire hard drive, you make sure that any data is encrypted, no matter where on the hard drive it is actually located.
Because of the way BitLocker works, setting it up requires a little bit more work than the simpler Encrypting File System method. Although Microsoft has made BitLocker very easy to use (considering what it does), it is still probably best to consult with a qualified IT professional before going this route.
Other Solutions
There might be reasons why you wouldn’t want to use the solutions built-in to Microsoft Windows. Fortunately, other solutions are available (although they are a little bit more technical).
For example, you might use software such as TrueCrypt to encrypt an entire disk on your computer – much like what Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption allows you to do.
You could also use TrueCrypt to create a “virtual” disk which is also encrypted. You could then save all of your files to this encrypted disk, without having to worry about encrypting your program files and other non-sensitive files. Also, because the disk is “virtual,” you can copy the “virtual” drive to another computer if needed (for example, when you get a new computer), thus making transferring your data to a new computer easier.
Another option is to store your data on a USB flash drive which comes with encryption options (similar to TrueCrypt). There are a large number of these type of USB flash drives available today, with varying degrees of ease-of-use.
Final Thoughts
If you have an in-house IT department (or an arrangement with an IT provider or firm), we would generally recommend that you speak to them for advice on how to secure sensitive client data on your computers.
However, if you are a small firm or a solo practitioner, the tips provided above will help you be more proactive about protecting the sensitive information that is increasingly stored on your computer.
New Feature Highlight: Column Resizing and Sorting
November 19, 2008
One of the changes we made in Version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing was the way that the bills list was sorted. Previously, the list started with the bill number followed by the client’s name. Perhaps somewhat confusingly, the list was sorted by bill date by default.
Although it seemed natural to us that bills should be sorted by date, it was also natural to want to scan the list visually and find a bill by the client’s name. So, we changed the layout of the list. Now, the client’s name is listed first, and by default the list sorts by client name.
In making this change, however, we discovered that very few people realized that you can change the size of the columns, or even sort by a different column if you wish.
Resizing a column is as easy as grabbing its edge with your mouse and dragging it to the desired size, and sorting a column is as easy as clicking the column heading. You can also double-click the edge of a column heading to force it to adjust automatically to the “best fit” for whatever is in that column.
New Feature Highlight: Template Designing
November 17, 2008
One of the major changes for version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing was the new “drag & drop” field list in the template designer.
These drag & drop fields make it easy to customize your templates so that information (such as the bill number, the date, your address, and the details of the bill) appear exactly where you want them to. This makes designing a template less like a complex technical process and more like putting together a simple mail merge – as you might do for printing envelopes or mailing labels.
If you’ve ever done a mail merge in another program (such as Microsoft Word/Publisher/Works, or WordPerfect, or OpenOffice) the process for designing your template will seem very familiar. If, on the other hand, you’ve never done mail merge before, there are many excellent resources to help you become familiar with the process:
- Our How-To Videos section has a video on Advanced Template Customization that shows you how to drag & drop fields to re-create a bill or statement template from the ground up
- Microsoft Office Online has a Mail Merge 101 section that contains numerous videos and tutorials to show you how to use mail merge which can help you understand mail merge – in both TurboLaw Time and Billing and in Microsoft Office
- WordPerfect Office has a similar article on how to do mail merge using WordPerfect
Once you understand the basics of mail merge, you can begin dragging & dropping fields onto your bill or statement templates with ease and create professional-looking bills and statements that reflect well on your practice, help your clients understand their bills, and reduce confusion about what’s been billed.
New Feature Highlight: New Graphics and Icons
November 13, 2008
Here at TurboLaw, we take “ease of use” seriously – that’s why we work so hard on the visual appearance of our programs. One of the new features of our latest release was improved graphics and icons. Now, while some people might not think very much of a few small pictures, we know better – good graphics and icons help make programs more intuitive, which makes them easier to use.
Presented below are some of the new graphics you’ll see in Version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing. You can click on any picture to see a larger version along with some comments about the design of the graphics on that screen.
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- Workflow Home Screen
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- Time or Expense Question Window
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- Error Window
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- Delete Confimation Window
Icons and graphics may not seem like a big deal, but we all know how little things can add up. That’s why we take the time to design our icons carefully and to pay close attention to detail so that you get the best possible user experience from our programs.
TurboLaw Time and Billing: Always Improving
May 14, 2008
It’s been just under 2 months since we released TurboLaw Time and Billing, and far from resting on our laurels, we’ve been hard at work making constant improvements based on feedback we receive.
Some of the things we’ve improved are:
- Statements now more clearly show a positive balance/credit – as from when you have a retainer
- We now offer a 30-day trial period
- Statements don’t print out the “payment number” that is used internally to track payments (some people found it confusing)
- Bill numbers now start at 1001 instead of 1 (some people found the old behavior confusing)
- We changed the layout of the Choose Template window to make it easier to see the names of templates (especially if they are long names)
- The template editor has been enhanced to allow you to drag & drop merged fields to make customizing bill and statement templates even easier
- You can now change the headings for work/expenses on bills (look under Tools > Settings)
- You can now choose whether bill items are sorted oldest to newest or vice-versa (look under Tools > Settings)
These are just a few of the improvements we’ve made – and we’re always working on more! We take our responsibility to provide you with great software very seriously, and we always listen to what our customers have to say.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions – feel free to drop us a line! You can email us at help@turbolaw.com, or call us directly at (800) 518-8726. We look forward to hearing from you!
Ask The Geek: How can I send documents in PDF format?
March 10, 2008
To send documents as PDFs (which stands for “portable document format“), you need a program to create PDF files – there are several available on the Internet for free, as well as some from commercial software vendors. The company which popularized the PDF format is called Adobe, and they sell a program called “Adobe Acrobat Professional” which allows you to create a PDF from just about anything. They also give away for free a program called “Adobe Acrobat Reader” which allows you to view a PDF and print it out (although not create a new one).
The best part of a PDF file is that just about anyone can view it – whether using a PC, a Mac, or some other type of device, chances are he or she can open a PDF file and view it. There are PDF viewer programs written for virtually every type of computer ever made, so when you send a PDF, you can generally be assured that the recipient can view it. Over the years, it has become the de facto standard for printable documents on the Internet.
Another great benefit of PDF files is that they strip out all the hidden “meta data” in your documents. You may have heard about “meta data” – this is the data inside your documents that you normally don’t see, but that may contain sensitive or personal information you don’t want disclosed. Creating a PDF naturally strips this information out – which makes PDFs a simple, easy solution to the problem of “meta data.”
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
Macros and Word 2007
February 7, 2008
If you have recently upgraded to Word 2007 (part of Microsoft Office 2007), you might have noticed that just about everything looks different – and the controls for macros are no exception.
The first time you open a TurboLaw document, you’ll see a “Security Warning” appear near the top of the screen, as shown below.
Because TurboLaw documents use macros, if you don’t enable the macros, the documents won’t work the way you expect.
If you click on the Options button, you’ll see a screen like the one shown below.
You’ll be able to see that the document has been signed by Promethean Software Corporation (the makers of TurboLaw), and some other details.
In order to enable the macros, you must select “Trust all documents from this publisher.”
Once this is done, click OK. The macros will now be enabled, and you can continue using TurboLaw. You won’t have to perform these steps again (unless you get a new computer).
If you’re using an earlier version of Word, the steps to enable macros haven’t changed – you can view the steps in our Help Center article on “How to Enable Macros.” If you can’t choose “Trust all documents from this publisher,” or if that option does not even appear, then you may not have the necessary certificates installed. This Help Center article describes how to install the needed certificates.
Ask The Geek: How can I get rid of junk mail (or “spam”)?
January 23, 2008
Unfortunately, the only guaranteed way to stop all spam is to not use e-mail. Spam is a part of life now, but you can take steps to reduce the amount of spam you get:
- Don’t publish your e-mail address on the Internet anywhere. Or, if you must put it on the Internet, write it out as “john at NOSPAM myaddress.com” instead of “john@myaddress.com”. This will help prevent automatic programs from collecting your address.
- Be careful whenever a website asks for your email address. Consider using a 2nd address just for on-line ordering and so forth – this way, all the spam goes to the 2nd address and you can just delete it from time to time.
- Use a good spam filter. Most email programs have some sort of ability to sort emails as they arrive – look into the features for your program. Microsoft Outlook has its “Junk Mail” folders, and if you use Microsoft Exchange in your office, there are many programs your IT person can load onto the sever to reduce spam before it even gets to your inbox. If you use Mozilla Thunderbird or Eudora, just start marking junk email as “junk” by using the buttons for it in these programs. They will “learn” to recognize spam over time and filter it for you.
Hopefully these tips help you deal with the avalanche of spam we all have to deal with these days. Good luck!
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
Using E-Z Pass data to prove infidelity
November 6, 2007
In what might be a compelling reason to go back to using your spare change when paying tolls on the highway, we found this report of E-Z Pass data being used to prove infidelity:
E-ZPass and other electronic toll collection systems are emerging as a powerful means of proving infidelity. That’s because when your spouse doesn’t know where you’ve been, E-ZPass does.
“E-ZPass is an E-ZPass to go directly to divorce court, because it’s an easy way to show you took the off-ramp to adultery,” said Jacalyn Barnett, a New York divorce lawyer who has used E-ZPass records a few times.
Lynne Gold-Bikin, a Pennsylvania divorce lawyer, said E-ZPass helped prove a client’s husband was being unfaithful: “He claimed he was in a business meeting in Pennsylvania. And I had records to show he went to New Jersey that night.”
Whether it’s E-Z Pass or Fast-Lane, such devices provide an often overlooked source of evidence.
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