Digital Detectives

Social Media is a big deal in the legal profession. Not only is it being used to promote law practices but it's increasingly being used as digital evidence in courtrooms. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk to Craig Ball about the intricacies of preserving digital evidence. Their discussion includes whether or not to hire a professional to do the preservation and tools that you can use to gather and preserve digital evidence. Craig Ball is a longtime adjunct professor teaching Digital Evidence at the University of Texas School of Law. He writes and speaks around the world on e-discovery and computer forensics. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a lawyer, sometimes paranoia is a good thing. Legal professionals are constantly handling sensitive information that needs protection, whether it’s details about a case or client data. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk to Charles Patterson about TSCM (technical surveillance countermeasures) and how this extra level of security can ensure your private information stays private. As the president of Exec Security, a TSCM services company, Charles shares about why lawyers need TSCM, how these sweeps are performed, and provides tips on how to protect yourself from situations that could compromise your confidential information. Charles Patterson has over 35 years experience in the security field. Previous to his current position as Exec Security president, he spent 17 years traveling throughout the United States and the world working in executive protection and providing tech support to security teams. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just because phishing is gradually becoming less of a threat does not mean you are safe from cyber criminals. Smishing is the use of cell phone texting software to lure victims into downloading malware or handing over personal information. In this episode, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk to Joe Hamblin, director of IT operations for Sprint, about what smishing is, why it’s growing, and how it could affect your legal business. They also discuss simple ways to identify and combat smishing both in your personal and professional life. Joe Hamblin, director of IT operations for Sprint’s emerging platforms, has more than 25 years of IT experience. In his current position he is responsible for end-user platform engineering including collaboration, Identity Access Management (IAM) and device engineering/management. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To those unfamiliar with ransomware, it is a malicious software that effectively holds your files hostage until you pay a ransom. For lawyers, this could mean losing or compromising the data that keeps your business running smoothly. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek discuss this malware with the CEO of LMG Security, Sherri Davidoff. Sherri divulges what we know about ransomware, what to do when it has infected your computer, and how to prevent data loss. While there are few ways to stop the infection when it has started, backing up your information and educating your team on malware countermeasures can significantly lessen ransomware’s impact on your business. Sherri Davidoff is the CEO of LMG Security, a cybersecurity and digital forensics company. She has more than a decade of experience as an information security professional, specializing in penetration testing, forensics, social engineering testing and web application assessments. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the rise of legal technology came a heightened awareness amongst lawyers and law firms of the importance of cyber security to ensure that one's own, and the clients’, assets are protected. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek sit down with former law enforcement officer and High-Technology Crime Unit detective Keith Lowry to discuss governmental cyber security policy under President Obama and how those policies might change during the administration of President-elect Trump. Keith Lowry has more than 25 years of experience implementing, managing, and directing insider threat, counterintelligence, and intelligence collection programs. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rapid embrace of emergent technologies has flooded the legal marketplace with new tools and processes to help make attorneys’ daily lives better in every way. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek sit down with CloudNine Vice President of Professional Services Doug Austin to discuss the hottest changes and trends surrounding e-discovery. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When thinking about a law firm’s marketing approach, many attorneys put heavy emphasis on having a well-constructed website to aid in attracting business, promoting convenient project management, and improving client retention. However, what potential security risks can your website pose to your firm and your clients? In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek sit down with SiteLock President Neill Feather to discuss the importance of website security, data breaches, and why hackers are attacking the websites of law firms. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the Panama Papers breach, securing law firm and client data has been a huge concern for many practitioners in the legal space. Similarly, other information leaks like the Edward Snowden revelations have made the general public more aware of government surveillance than ever before. In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek sit down with executive director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation Cindy Cohn to discuss domestic surveillance concerns, encryption technology, and how lawyers and law firms can protect themselves and their clients from cyber attacks. Cindy Cohn is the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. From 2000-2015 she served as EFF’s Legal Director as well as its General Counsel. Ms. Cohn first became involved with EFF in 1993, when EFF asked her to serve as the outside lead attorney in Bernstein v. Dept. of Justice, the successful First Amendment challenge to the U.S. export restrictions on cryptography. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Digital Detectives, hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek speak with Oklahoma Bar Association’s Management Assistance Program Director Jim Calloway about ways small firm and solo attorneys can improve their cyber security. Jim talks about the increased awareness of cyber security in the solo and small law firm community as a result of the recent news coverage of data breaches occurring in a variety of companies. This level of visibility and growing pool of attorneys who have personal experience with someone who has had a data breach or digital disaster has cultivated an understanding that a compromised database or dead computer can put the entire law firm out of business. He states that seeing these large companies being compromised can often cause small firms with much smaller budgets to question if there is anything they can do to protect themselves. Jim points out that attorneys running their own firms or small businesses have a duty to supervise their employees and provides his 5 top cyber security tips to help these very firms and solo lawyers protect themselves, their clients, and address the importance of physically securing company laptops and other mobile devices. He closes the interview with an analysis of the risks and rewards of utilizing cloud-based practice management tools designed specifically for legal professionals and his advice for law firms who feel that they can’t afford to adequately secure themselves. Special thanks to our sponsors, PInow and SiteLock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Digital Detectives, board certified trial lawyer Craig Ball talks with Sharon Nelson and John Simek about information technology competency and the 2016 Georgetown Ediscovery Training Academy. Craig explains that the bootcamp is six days of extensive work and requires a great deal of effort on the part of the attendees for weeks before they arrive. He asserts that the program’s hour long written assessment exam, three full days of technical training, rigorous reading requirements, and week-long “meet and confer” exercise are a few of the things that differentiate this curriculum from other continuing legal education courses. Craig also shares that the goal of the program is to establish a certain level of competency and fluency in e-discovery and digital evidence and to help cultivate a passion in individuals interested in these fields. He continues by stating that lawyers graduate lacking the basic skills that are necessary to teach themselves what they need to know about information technology and this is why programs like this are so important. Craig analyzes the legal education system, the expectation of apprenticeship, and how many of the most seasoned lawyers know little or nothing about electronically stored information. He closes the interview with a discussion of where the legal profession will be in 10 years regarding tech competency and a reflection on his career today. Craig Ball is a board certified trial lawyer, certified computer forensic examiner, law professor, and electronic evidence expert, who limits his practice to serving as a court-appointed special master and consultant in computer forensics and electronic discovery. He has served as the special master or testifying expert in computer forensics and electronic discovery in some of the most challenging and celebrated cases in the U.S. Special thanks to our sponsor, PInow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices