All mistakes are not created equal. For lawyers, one faux pas may cause trouble with a co-worker. A different misstep may upset a client. And you don’t want to think about stepping on a judge’s toes.
But in the cyberworld, mistakes can reach global proportions with the speed of a mouse-click. The essence of any error may be the same, but the potential is magnified by the medium.
Here are five tech errors that are so common, you probably have made a few of them:
1. The Wrong Address
There are so many ways to mess up email, it’s not even funny. So what if you are joking about a co-worker behind their back, but you inadvertently send the email to that person? Not funny. It could be much more serious, of course, to send confidential client information to an unintended recipient. Just double-check your recipients, including the copied-to line.
2. The Wrong Attachment
Just like emailing to the wrong person, you can send the wrong attachment. It could be really embarrassing with eDiscovery or eFiling to attach the wrong documents. And, of course, you never want to open an attachment from an unknown source. One word: virus.
3. The Wrong Website
Think about those websites that collect data, track your browsing habits, and push advertisements at you wherever you go. Unless you really like getting advertisements for hair growth or other products at the office, keep work and personal browsing separate.
4. The Wrong Technology
Some tech gadgets are so cool they are almost irresistible. Who doesn’t want a watch that can connect you to the internet, give you hands-free communications, guide you by satellite to virtually anyplace on earth and someday download apps straight to your brain?
But really? Before you drop $800 on that new fun gadget, don’t you need new accounting, encryption, or case management software first?
5. The Wrong Tech Person
Maybe you have told clients they could represent themselves in court, but in complex cases it would be like performing brain surgery on themselves. Some tasks just require more expertise.
So it is in the Information Age. Maybe you can build a website, set up a Wi-Fi network, and toggle between screens like a boss. But do you really have the time and know-how to restore a network system, recover lost data from the cloud, or recover from cyber attacks that have stolen clients’ information or identities? Leave it to the experts, and get back to billable hours.