Law firms, accountancy firms and corporate law departments are bombarded from the outside and the inside by threats every day. Threat management has become a full-time task.

 

In mitigating those threats firms have added layer on layer of protection such that the protection looks like the layers of an onion, all trying to protect the intellectual property of the firm and its clients. Internal threats, however, are not generally well reported. Data leaks, stolen documents, personnel taking documents when leaving a firm and employees looking at “juicy” documents are just a few examples of internal threats firms deal with daily. Truly malicious actions, like the planting of a virus or the purposeful deleting of data, also occur, but less frequently. Truly malicious internal threats can often be treated much like external threats using the tools and backups already in place.

But how does a firm identify the softer threats — the types that are just as dangerous as the malicious threats and can cripple a firm just as effectively?

A new class of software tools using forms of artificial intelligence has emerged that reports the unsafe behavior of personnel to help firms secure their documents. iManage Threat Manager can assist a firm by statistically analyzing the behavior of employees as they access, process, email, print and download documents and folders. By using the iManage Threat Manager, an IT director or law firm administrator can easily see aberrant behavior in employee handling of documents. The iManage Threat Manager also can report on the compliance of employees in using the document management system to store and protect client intellectual property.

Compliance highlighting Emails filed in reporting period

Compliance highlighting emails filed in the reporting period

 

The iManage Threat Manager analyzes a user’s behavior relative to the user’s historical use of documents across as many as 23 criteria, including views, opens, modifications, prints, emails and download. The user is also analyzed against the entire group of users to see how they are similar or different. Threat Manager can also be set to analyze a user’s document behavior relative to their classification at the firm. This can be useful because assistants use documents differently than paralegals who are different than associates who are different than partners. Threat Manager then produces easy-to-understand reports which flag any aberrant behavior and can even be set up to limit a user’s access if thresholds are exceeded.

 

Alert List showing high risk (red), medium (orange) and lower risk users (yellow).

Alert List showing high risk (red), medium (orange) and lower risk users (yellow).

 

Key benefits of Threat Manager:

  • Detect Sophisticated Threats
    • Uses machine learning and user behavior analytics to leverage historical and contextual information already contained in iManage’s audit trails to enhance security and to provide useful information for governance.
  • Act to Prevent Data Loss
    • Threat Manager rules can be set to proactively identify to alert, detect and even take action to help prevent data loss. Threat Manager reports can enable a firm to act to warn a user or even to disable their access.
    • Threat Manager rules can alert a firm if an attorney appears to be copying documents in preparation for leaving
  • Comply with Client Regulations
    • Threat Manager rules can be set to follow client regulations regarding access and staffing for their matters.
      • Threat Manager information can be used to report to clients
      • Threat Manager reports can also be used to respond in the event of a data breach
    • Reduce the risk posed by non-filers
      • Threat Manager easily provides information regarding internal users who are not using the Document Management System properly.

Using modern artificial intelligence tools like iManage’s Threat Manager can help firms mitigate internal risks of either non-compliance with managing documents or in identifying risks from data loss.

Contact an Innovative Account Executive to learn more about iManage Threat Manager at [email protected] or 1-800-541-0450.