This is part two of our three-part series Examining the 2016 ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing Survey. This week we are focusing on security management concerns and purchases.
For the second year in a row, security management topped the list of firms biggest IT challenges (67% of respondents), followed by user adoption/lack of training (42%), and risk management/compliance (40%). Security management was a common concern among all firm sizes and only large firms named it as the third largest concern to them. Interestingly enough, security and governance were also named as one of the most exciting technologies or trends in this year’s survey. These technologies range from file level encryption, to cyber security and malware protection, and security awareness programs.
In regards to purchases that had been made in the past year or plan on being made in the next year, there were three categories specific to security:
- Security/network security/security assessment
- Security awareness training services/software/content
- Security monitoring services for the network
The latter two categories were new to this year’s survey and warranted some interesting results.
- Security/network security/security showed growth with 40% of respondents (versus 38% in 2015) stating that they had purchased security in the past 12 months
- There was more substantial growth for those who planned to purchase the above category with 42% of respondents (versus 32% in 2015) stating they are planning to purchase security in the next 12 months
- In the category of security awareness training services/ software/content, 27% of respondents indicated they had purchased it in the past year
- 33% of respondents stated they are planning to purchase that in the next year
- 27% of respondents also indicated they had purchased security monitoring services for the network in the past 12 months
- 28% of respondents stated they are planning to purchase security monitoring services in the next year
Something that is worth mentioning is that these three categories all show future planned purchases exceeding what had been purchased in the last year. Further solidifying the idea that security management is a huge concern.
Last week we focused our blog on cloud, and we mentioned that 55% of respondents named security as a reason to avoid cloud. While others (25% of respondents) named security as a reason to embrace cloud technology. Specifically, law firms are worried that hackers will compromise sensitive information and clients are concerned that their data is not secured in the cloud. With recent data breaches of the DNC and large companies like Yahoo and JP Morgan Chase, we can see that these concerns are legitimate, but with the right systems in place, data in the cloud is very secure.
For more information on how SeeUnity can help with security concerns within your firm’s ECM system, please contact info@seeunity.com.