mobile security

 

Cyber breaches at large companies like Yahoo, Equifax and Paypal dominated the news cycle last year, but smaller companies without cybersecurity or information governance staff are often at an even greater disadvantage during a cyberattack.

Law firm Carlton Fields last week launched CyberAPP, a mobile app to help businesses prepare for or deal with cyber breaches. Joseph Swanson, partner and co-chair of the firm's cybersecurity and privacy practice, said, “We were getting an increasing number of questions from our clients and prospective clients about privacy and cybersecurity issues.”

As the firm began to assemble resources to support clients with these issues, they found that many of these resources could be compiled into a mobile app. “In a world where people increasingly want answers right away and they want them on their phone, what better way to make it available to people?” Swanson said.

Here's a look at the app:

Who it serves: The app is client-facing and essentially intended to serve the primary question-asking population Carlton Fields hears from most. “It has resources for every part of the life cycle,” Swanson said.

For those looking to get ahead of potential data breaches, the app provides a number of framework and sample organizational policies that businesses can use to manage things like email and social media among employees. Those who may have been caught off guard in a breach have access to a set of checklists and resources to help businesses figure out what to do next.

What's it like? Like many law firm-designed mobile apps, CyberAPP isn't exactly the coolest or sleekest app you'll ever download. That said, the app is simple and easy to navigate, and its content is written in clear and accessible language.

Especially if you've turned to CyberAPP in the middle of a cyber breach crisis, the app seems pretty well-equipped to help you turn panic into action. The “Incident Response” section, easily visible in the main navigation screen, includes a set of data breach and disaster recovery checklists, as well as a set of tips and specific notification laws designed to give you a set of action steps to move through in the event of a crisis.

What is its business development value? Mobile apps have increasingly become a common technology tactic used by firms to both draw in potential clients and signal to existing clients that they're innovating. Reed Smith last year launched a similar app, Breach RespondeRS, to help clients figure out what state data breach notification laws they may need to comply with. Reed Smith, co-chair of the firm's information technology, privacy and data security group, told Am Law Daily at the time, “Client development is certainly our goal. It will at least show brand awareness and expertise.”

A key piece of success law firm apps is understanding who your audience is, what information they need, and whether they really need to download an entire app on their phone to get that information. By packaging information based on what context a particular business is in, rather than what rules could apply, CyberAPP demonstrates a solid understanding of this principle.

Swanson also sees the app as a way to showcase the firm's expertise in this practice area. “This is a hot area. Law firms are developing a lot of resources to develop these practices. We think by virtue of our collective experience with the government as cyber prosecutors and other disciplines here at the firm, we've got an experienced and skilled team, and we wanted to make sure that those skills were highlighted. This struck us as a way to do that in a format that the marketplace is increasingly looking to for answers.”