Secure Remote Work for Attorneys: Courthouse, Home, and Everywhere Between

Attorneys draft briefs from home, review discovery on the train, and respond to clients from courthouse hallways. Flexibility is valuable — but each location brings new risks to confidential information.

Public Wi-Fi

California ethics guidance has specifically considered attorneys using public wireless networks. The practical answer is to avoid sending client data over untrusted networks without protection: use a phone hotspot or a properly configured secure connection.

Lost and stolen devices

A laptop left in a car can become a reportable breach. Protect against it with:

• Full-disk encryption on every device
• Automatic screen lock and strong sign-in
• Device management that allows remote lock and wipe
• Files stored in a secure cloud system, not only on the laptop

Home offices

Shared family computers and consumer routers are not appropriate for client work. Firm-managed devices and a few simple router settings go a long way toward keeping home offices as secure as the office downtown.