Technology & Law - Vol. V
May 18, 2005
“Technology & Law” is a semi-regular column posted by Keith M. Survell. It deals with the interaction of technology and security with the modern law office.
This week, rather than talking about security (as I usually do, and have done since this column started), I’d like to look at the other side of technology as it relates to the modern law office. Specifically, I’m talking about “blogging.”
The word “blog” is short for “web log,” and refers to a specific style of web page - one that is updated frequently with new information, while retaining old information (generally on the same page or sub pages). Only the owner of the blog can post new items - unlike “forums”, where anyone can register and start a new topic. Basically, a blog is sort of like an on-line journal or diary, where people write things that can be seen by everyone. Many people who write these blogs are quite professional, and their blog becomes more like an on-line newsletter or magazine (as opposed to amateur blogs, which can often read like a teenager’s diary).
Lately, a lot of lawyers have started blogging - often in response to interesting legal issues that would go un-published in more traditional media. This has produced some very well-written blogs, with interesting opinions that are well worth reading. In this new information age, a blog is a powerful communication and collaboration tool.
Here then are just a few of the most popular law blogs (or “blawgs” as they are sometimes known).
Those interested in starting their own blog can get started by visiting one of the major blog sites, such as Blogger, WordPress, or Typepad - although there are many other such blogging sites (sites that help you publish your blog).
It’s a brave new world out there - make yourself heard!
We Don’t Send Spam
May 16, 2005
Over the weekend, some people have reported receiving emails that appear to come from PSC (@prometheancorporation.com) and are written in German.
We would like to emphasize that these emails are not coming from us.
Because of the way email was designed, it is possible to send email with a “fake” address, making it appear to come from anyone. This is a common tactic of spammers and virus writers.
We have detected that the emails seem to be coming from one broadband Internet customer in Germany, with the following address:
h179n3c1o885.bredband.skanova.com [81.227.10.179]
Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to stop this flood of illegitimate emails. We have been receiving the emails as well, and the only advise we can offer is to delete any emails you receive that are written in German (unless, of course, you normally receive emails written in German).
Some people have reported that some of the emails have viruses in them - we therefore further caution you to delete these emails without opening them, and make sure you have an up-to-date virus scanner installed on your computer.
To keep your computer safe from viruses and spyware, you may want to try some of the software we recommend in this article and this article.
Technology & Law - Vol. IV
May 6, 2005
“Technology & Law” is a semi-regular column posted by Keith M. Survell. It deals with the interaction of technology and security with the modern law office.
Another article from Bruce Shneier gives good advice - especially since so many law firms are now using Adobe Acrobat’s PDF format for document storage. If you ever send these documents to other people via email, and you need to hide sensitive information (such as social security numbers), be careful how you go about “hiding” the text. This article describes how someone used the PDF equivalent of “white-out” to redact sensitive information - but the information was still there; it was just hidden under a layer of white.
As computers become more and more commonplace in law firms, and as more and more data is stored in these computers, the issue of data security is going to become more and more prevalent. Many firms have chosen the PDF format for permanent storage of documents - mostly because it can be viewed by anyone (that is to say, a PDF viewer is free and installed on most computers), but also because the PDF format isn’t likely to change in the future. (Word’s “doc” format, for example, has changed many times in its long history - sometimes making it impossible to open older documents in a newer version of Word!)
If it seems silly to be giving this much thought to file formats and digital storage - consider for a moment the effort many firms put into safeguarding their physical files. It is not uncommon to see larger firms equipped with special rooms for files, with special fire-suppression systems and advanced locks to protect the data contained in the files. Now, consider all of those files - the filing cabinets, the folders, and so on - compressed down into a rectangular box about the size of a paperback novel. That’s the data in your computer. That’s why data security is so important.
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