Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 21 n a controlled experiment, security experts using a laptop and a phone were able to access the on-board system of a Jeep via its wireless Inter- net connection and even got into the car's controls, turning the wipers and radio on and off remotely. They then took control of the engine and brakes. We've reached the age of mobility in a big way. Everything's on the move, includ- ing lawyers, and they're bringing their technology along with them so that they can conveniently work wherever they are. And although information and technol- ogy may be easily had for those on the go, for lawyers it may be too easy. The trick is using what's available, without compromising ethical and professional obligations. Cars, for instance, are increasingly equipped with applications geared to keep motorists connected. But in the race to pro- vide more technology, many automakers haven't yet made their connectivity systems secure. There is also a concern with Wi-Fi offered by airlines, which are considered to have very little security, says Bough- ton Law's information technology manager Rob Walls. He likens airplane Wi-Fi to sit- ting in coffee shops, which are often vulner- able to copycat Wi-Fi systems established to steal information from the unknow- ing user's device. The on-board systems allow users to access their own phones and networks without the level of protection they perhaps ought to have. "Where does this information go, who is processing that file?" Walls asks. The American Bar Association's legal technology survey found 96 per cent of lawyers at firms with 100 or more law- yers use a smartphone and 49 per cent of all lawyers surveyed use a tablet. Those devices are just as vulnerable to attacks as the computers in the office and are also subject to intrusions designed specifically for the mobile tools. "Working in the legal industry is interesting because it's about what I'm allowed to do, not what I can do," says Walls, who also serves as the British Columbia Legal Management Association technology subsection co-chairman and the International Legal Technology Asso- ciation's member liaison for Vancouver. In B.C., for instance, those who work with public bodies can't take that informa- tion out of the country. That pretty well eliminates the ability to work on those files in the cloud because so many serv- ers are based in the United States. While the ethical obligations are broad, Wall likes to point out specific examples of where things could go sideways in terms of security. He reminds mobile lawyers to be cogni- zant of how and where they use their devic- es and what they use them for. Security, he says, is a moving target and the definition of what is a mobile device is constantly changing Omar Ha-Redeye apologizes for the bagpipes playing in the background as he takes a call while on the go in downtown Toronto. No longer with conventional work space, the lawyer's office without walls is part of an increasing trend, particularly for L AW O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T By Marg. Bruineman JEREMY BRUNEEL Safety in motion In a mobile world, keeping your devices, and your clients' information, secure can be complicated. But you have to do it. I Law Society of British Columbia checklist: http://tinyurl.com/LSBCchecklist Alberta's Law Society Today article on threats: http://tinyurl.com/LSToday

• Cover