Why the SRA needs to catch up with cloud
Our latest white paper, The Real Challenges and Benefits of Cloud Computing to Law Firms, has highlighted a rather controversial issue in the legal IT sector. The paper, written by cloud lawyer Frank Jennings, suggests that the SRA (Solicitors Regulatory Authority), the body in charge of setting industry standards and providing general guidance on laws, regulations and best practice, is failing to provide any real direction on how cloud services should be effectively and, more importantly, securely deployed within law firms.
It is perhaps unsurprising, given this lack of guidance, for some there still remains an air of uncertainty around the adoption of cloud services in what is understandably one of the most security-conscious industries. However, despite this, the legal sector has actually been a major adopter of cloud-based systems in recent years and the firms we have spoken to typically maintain a positive attitude towards their use. Those who have been at the forefront of cloud adoption have been quick to realise their benefits in terms of cost and flexibility, with awareness of these services growing constantly.
Bearing this in mind, it seems a shame that the leading body in advice and best practice for the legal sector offers no guidelines for such a large and imminent shift in technology within law firms. Solicitors look to the SRA as a point of reference and if no information is available to them one of two things could happen; firms will fall behind in terms of technology practices, taking the SRA's silence as a warning, or they will take the lead from the industry's early-movers who are already experiencing the benefits and go ahead with implementation regardless of the SRA's stance.
It is worrying for us that the SRA have remained silent on the issue, from our experience, law firms are crying out for more information on migrating to cloud services and the practical benefits it can bring. To maintain its position as a credible body and source of information, the SRA should think about reconsidering its stance and respond to an obvious need. From our perspective, it's important for cloud providers to continue educating firms on the various cloud options available to them and how they can be used to make a real impact on business processes without affecting data security. But whilst we can do our best to shed light on the issue, the most useful and trusted advice will come from external, independent and impartial parties such as the Cloud Industry Forum, the Cloud Security Alliance and industry-specific groups like the SRA.
To read the full white paper and hear what top firms like Berwin Leighton Paisner and Sidley Austin LLP have to say on the matter, just click the link below:
The Real Challenges and Benefits of Cloud Computing to Law Firms