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AXEL’s Guide to Remote Work

In March 2020, nearly every office worker was filled with anxiety about the prospect of remote work. With no warning and little preparation, a significant portion of the world’s workforce was forced to do their jobs from home, many with no experience of at-home work whatsoever. It was a stressful and unique time, learning new skills and software from home, all while the looming threat of COVID-19 was ever-present in peoples’ lives. This radical, immediate shift to at-home work was unlike anything workers had ever faced before.

But then something funny happened: We got used to it. Not only did employees begin to tolerate remote work, but they enjoyed it more than traditional work at the office. In fact, nearly 50% of workers stated that they’d take a pay cut to continue working remotely [1]. 25% stated that they would quit their jobs if they couldn’t work remotely anymore, and 70% say they find virtual meetings less stressful than in-person meetings.

Now, with remote work popularized and here to stay, here are some ways to maximize your efficiency, create a healthy work-life balance, and overcome some of the unique challenges of at-home work.

Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Although remote work offers incredible flexibility for employees, that flexibility comes with a price. 45% of remote workers say they work longer hours than they did before, and the picture is even bleaker for younger workers [2]. With the rise of remote work, employees are working longer hours and more weekends, putting a healthy work-life balance at risk. With bedrooms becoming the new office, it can be concerningly easy for worklife and homelife to blur. Thankfully, there are a few strategies that can help workers separate their job and their home life.

First, one of the most useful strategies to utilize is scheduling. Most employees have a specific time to clock in and clock out. Even when you’re working from home, sticking to those specific times helps separate work and home. Additionally, it’s helpful to schedule breaks in advance as well, to provide structure to the workday. Creating a schedule and sticking to it is one of the best ways to prioritize a healthy work-life balance. 

Additionally, it’s helpful to create specific places for work as well. Set aside a desk, office, or even just a chair for work, and only use it during work hours. This way, your home can be split into two, with distinct workspaces and homespaces. This way, once you’re at your work desk, you’ll be able to focus solely on work, rather than allowing your work life and home life to intersect. Although these strategies sound simple, they help workers separate their work and personal lives immensely. Just following these two strategies can help maintain (or even increase) worker efficiency, while also promoting healthy distinctions between work and home.

Embrace Change

When workers were sent home in March 2020, they were forced to learn new programs on the fly. From Zoom meetings to Slack channels, workers involuntarily embraced modern workplace technology. Many workers had never even participated in a Zoom meeting before the pandemic, but now they’re practically the norm. Additionally, programs like Slack, Skype, and Microsoft Teams surged in popularity, even among offices that were previously low-tech. Ultimately, although the pandemic forced employers and workers to try new programs, it allowed nearly every workplace to embrace modern workplace technology. Now, nearly every worker is technologically savvy enough to get work done from home. The rapid modernization of many offices was certainly one of the hidden blessings of the pandemic.

In addition to embracing new software and programs, remote work has allowed employees to embrace new places as well. On the more common side, many workers enjoy leaving their homes for part of the workday. After all, some people may work best next to the office-like bustle of a coffee shop, or the eerie silence of a local library. Remote work allows workers to try out different working environments to determine which location works best for them. Additionally, some workers have even become “digital nomads,” employees who travel often, but are still full-time remote workers. Because remote work allows unprecedented flexibility in where work gets done, it’s no wonder why many employees prefer working out of the office.

Utilize New Tech

Even before the pandemic hit, new workplace collaboration software made our jobs so much easier. Now, dozens of useful programs are readily available to businesses, making the transition to remote work even more simple. Useful programs include: 

  • Slack, a business communication software that features chat rooms organized by department, team chats, and direct messaging.
  • Todoist, a workplace organizing software that schedules and shares tasks, meetings, and projects.
  • GitHub, a hosting service for software development that allows users to comment and collaborate on each other’s coding projects.
  • Clio, a practice management software for law firms that collects and finalizes documents remotely.

Don’t be afraid to try out new technology! There are dozens of useful programs available, no matter what industry you work in. Whether it be work automation or business communication, workplace software is a wonderful tool that can help your business. Embracing new technology can be scary, but the benefits certainly outweigh the stress. After all, we were all anxious about Zoom meetings in 2020, but now, they’re second-nature, and help us get work done effectively. The best workers and businesses are unafraid of trying out new technology, so keep an eye out for new programs that can help you get work done more efficiently.

Communication is Key

During in-office work, it’s easy to stay in the loop. With remote work, staying informed and updated on your team’s latest projects can be a bit trickier. That’s why it’s extremely important to communicate often with coworkers and managers alike. Make group chats with your team, so no one is left behind, and follow up often to ensure everyone is on the same page. Without in-person meetings, everyone has to know their responsibilities. Embracing consistent, clear communication helps ensure that tasks don’t slip through the cracks.

Additionally, communication doesn’t only have to be about work. One of the biggest drawbacks of remote work is the loss of office camaraderie. This loss is particularly felt by young employees, many of whom are starting their career without ever meeting their coworkers in real life [3]. One way to mitigate this effect is to encourage casual conversation among employees. Whether it be as simple as a “water cooler” Slack channel or occasional Zoom hangouts with coworkers, fostering connections between employees not only helps workers avoid burnout, but also helps cultivate a distinct company culture.

Overcome Challenges Together

One of the most difficult aspects of remote work is time management, particularly when your coworkers are in different time zones. Unplanned meetings are often too difficult to pull off successfully in a remote work environment. That’s why it’s extremely important to plan projects, tasks, and meetings well in advance, so every employee knows what’s coming up, and when to be available. Of course, sometimes things come up and require immediate action, but giving your best effort to plan in advance not only helps you stay organized; it helps your entire office stay coordinated and running smoothly.

Finally, one of the biggest challenges with remote work is technology. With no on-site IT department, workers are often on their own when they encounter a tech problem. That’s why businesses ought to have clear guidelines regarding technology. Some helpful tech tips include:

  • Only using secure Wi-Fi networks.
  • Immediately downloading software updates.
  • Using a secure file-sharing service (like AXEL Go!)
  • Creating an incident response plan in the event of a data breach.

Tech problems will always be present, whether you’re working at the office or at home. That’s why offices need to communicate with employees regarding technology and cybersecurity. Creating and enforcing technology guidelines can help both employees and the business stay safe from cyberthreats.

About AXEL

As remote work becomes the norm, cybersecurity ought to be a priority for all businesses. At AXEL we believe that your information deserves the best protection. That’s why we created AXEL Go. AXEL Go uses military-grade encryption, blockchain technology and decentralized servers to ensure it’s the best file transfer software on the market. Whether you need cloud video storage or cloud file management, AXEL Go is the secure file hosting solution. If you’re ready to try the best file sharing app for PC and mobile devices, try two free weeks of AXEL Go here.

[1] Collins, Terry. “Work Remote after COVID? Nearly 50% of US Workers Would Take a Pay Cut for It, Survey Says.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, November 11, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/11/11/workplace-survey-remote-pay-cut-covid/6367601001/

[2] Maurer, Roy. “Remote Employees Are Working Longer than Before.” SHRM. SHRM, July 6, 2021. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/remote-employees-are-working-longer-than-before.aspx

[3] Petersen, Anne Helen, and Charlie Warzel. “Remote Work Is Failing Young Employees.” The New York Times. The New York Times, November 22, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/opinion/remote-work-gen-z.html

How Law Firms Should Handle Cybercrime

Law firms are extremely unique places of business. They don’t rely on releasing products, but on a specific service that requires the collection of confidential information from clients. Further, because law firms typically serve multiple clients at a time, they hold a wealth of information on both corporations and individuals. And this knowledge isn’t run-of-the-mill company fun facts; it’s the scandalous, salacious, highly-confidential information that would cause chaos if publicly revealed. 

Unfortunately, cybercriminals have realized this, and have taken decisive action. In the past few years, law firms have become a prime target for cybercriminal organizations because of their combination of valuable data and relatively lax cybersecurity. This culminated in a 2020 attack by REvil, a notorious ransomware gang, on Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, demanding a USD $42 million ransom for the near-terabyte of stolen data [1]. Overall, 29% of firms recorded a security breach in 2020, according to an ABA survey [2].

It’s clear that law firms are a top target of cybercriminal gangs. Therefore, it’s important to stay informed on these gangs’ strategies, and the best ways to prevent cyberattacks.

How do Cybercriminals Attack Firms

Although cybercriminal organizations typically have “go-to” strategies, there isn’t one specific way that all law firms are attacked. Whether it be with phishing emails, malware, or even insider attacks, there are a variety of ways that law firms can be targeted. While large firms were mostly targeted a few years ago, cybercriminals have recently shifted their priorities. Due to the global crackdown on ransomware gangs, these diabolical organizations started to target small and mid-size firms, avoiding the publicity (and government attention) that an attack on large firms would bring. In fact, mid-size law firms have become the prime target for cybercriminals [3]. After all, these firms still have loads of valuable information, but likely have much less stringent cybersecurity measures.

Concerningly, fewer than half of all law firms use simple security measures like two-factor authorization and file encryption [2]. With a significant portion of firms having no cybersecurity protection beyond usernames and passwords, it’s no wonder that cybercriminal gangs have raked in money from desperate firms. In 2021, the average ransomware payment was USD $140,000, a massive figure for small and mid-size firms [3]. Unfortunately, if an unprepared firm is hit with ransomware, there is typically no other option but to pay the cybercriminals to unlock their encryption and return the stolen data. That’s why the best defense against cyberattacks is preparation.

Legal and Moral Obligations

While there is no federal law requiring law firms to have certain cybersecurity precautions, some individual states and industries do regulate firms’ cybersecurity practices. For example, firms that handle financial data may be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, a law that mandates stringent recordkeeping and reporting [4]. Further, certain states like New York and California have more cybersecurity regulations on their books. For example, New York’s Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act mandates prompt public disclosure in the event of a security breach [4]. These regulations ultimately help firms stay prepared for cyberattacks, while also serving the public interest if a cyberattack were to occur. Failure to follow these regulations could lead to investigations, lawsuits, fines, and an overall loss of public trust.

In addition to federal and state laws, law firms must also follow the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct. One rule states that lawyers must take

Reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client [4].

Additionally, the ABA requires firms to reasonably inform clients about the status of a cyberattack. While the term “reasonable efforts” is certainly open to interpretation, the ABA is clear: It’s an ethical obligation for firms to prepare for cyberattacks. In today’s digital world, handling client data unsafely isn’t only irresponsible; it’s immoral.

What Can Law Firms Do?

So, we know that law firms are ethically, and in some cases legally, required to take reasonable precautions for cyberattacks. But what exactly can firms, particularly small and mid-size, do? Businesses like this simply can’t afford the cybersecurity infrastructure of large firms, with dedicated staff and numerous expensive programs. Thankfully, providing strong protection from cybercrime is simple and inexpensive.

The best way to prevent data breaches and ransomware attacks is to cultivate a culture of security in the workplace. Specifically, this means embracing simple safeguards like two-factor authorization and file encryption. Just taking these two precautions vastly lowers the risk of a successful cyberattack. Additionally, having yearly (or even twice-a-year!) training on cybersecurity risks helps create a culture of security as well. Think about it: Phishing emails are typically well-disguised. But if all employees know the difference between an innocent work email and a nefarious phishing attempt, your firm will be significantly safer.

Finally, in the unfortunate case that a firm is hit with a cyberattack, it’s extremely useful to have an incident response plan. As a cyberattack is occurring, every minute counts, and having a specific plan can be the difference between a devastating data breach and a failed attempt. If employees know what to do immediately, whether it be turning off all computers, shutting down Wi-Fi, or calling a trusted expert, firms can minimize the risk, or at least lessen the impact, of a surprise cyberattack. Unfortunately, just 34% of firms maintain an incident response plan [2]. While this is an increase from past years, this shows there is still a long way to go regarding cybersecurity at law firms.

About AXEL

Law firms will continue to be targeted by nefarious cybercriminals. Thankfully, AXEL is prepared. At AXEL, we believe that privacy is a human right, and that your information deserves the best protection. That’s why we created AXEL Go, a secure file sharing software. AXEL Go uses military-grade encryption, blockchain technology and decentralized servers to ensure it’s the best file transfer software on the market. Whether you need cloud video storage or cloud file management, AXEL Go is the secure file hosting solution. If you’re ready to try the best file sharing app for PC and mobile devices, try two free weeks of AXEL Go here.

[1] Shankar, AJ. “Council Post: Ransomware Attackers Take Aim at Law Firms.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, March 11, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/03/12/ransomware-attackers-take-aim-at-law-firms/

[2] Loughnane, John. “2020 Cybersecurity.” Americanbar.org. American Bar Association, October 19, 2020. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/publications/techreport/2020/cybersecurity/

[3] Dalton, Brian. “Law Firms Stagger through Ransomware Attacks.” Above the Law, November 2, 2021. https://abovethelaw.com/2021/11/law-firms-stagger-through-ransomware-attacks/

[4] “5 Cybersecurity Risks and 3 Obligations for Law Firms.” The National Law Review, July 8, 2021. https://www.natlawreview.com/article/5-key-data-privacy-and-security-risks-arise-when-organizations-record-job-interviews

National Technology Day: How Tech has Changed the Way We Live

What was life like twenty years ago? What technology did we use? How did we get work done in 2002? While twenty years may seem like a relatively short period of time, our everyday lives have drastically changed over the past two decades. We went from flip phones to iPhones, from CDs to music and video streaming, from printed-out MapQuest papers to instant GPS directions. In the past twenty years, modern technology has changed nearly every aspect of our lives. 

Because of the incredible technological advances we’ve seen in the past twenty years, AXEL founded National Technology Day, a holiday celebrated every year on January 6th. On National Technology Day, we encourage everyone to reflect on the advances made in business, culture, and entertainment. From maximizing efficiency at the office to sharing your own media online, technology has changed the way we live and will continue to change our lives in the future. While it’s unclear what the world will look like in twenty years, we do know one thing: Technology will continue to innovate.

With that said, here are a few ways how recent technological advances have radically impacted our everyday lives:

How Tech Changed Public Health

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest technological triumphs in public health in the past twenty years has been the widespread use of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Most COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines, and with billions of doses administered in one year, these high-tech vaccines have saved countless lives. But how are mRNA vaccines different from traditional vaccines? With an mRNA vaccine, a weakened pathogen isn’t injected into your body like with traditional vaccines. An mRNA vaccine delivers “coded” mRNA to your immune cells, and using that code, your immune cells can produce proteins that are found on the specific pathogen [1].

The development of mRNA vaccines was made possible by technological advances in the pharmaceutical industry. Although they are relatively new today, mRNA vaccines have been studied and theorized for decades. Finally, modern technology caught up with researchers, and a new soldier in the war on infectious diseases was created.

While vaccines have certainly had a massive impact on the world, they aren’t the only way that technology has changed public health. An obvious example is the rise of fitness and health trackers. Today, about one in five Americans use a fitness tracker and corresponding app [2]. With these trackers, users can track their steps taken, calories burned, steps climbed, blood pressure, sleep quality, and dozens of other metrics. While research on their effectiveness has been mixed, fitness trackers give people fun, convenient ways to check on their health [3].

How Tech Changed Education

If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that technology allows us to be connected, even when we can’t be physically present together. This was particularly apparent when schools across the world were closed and classes were taught online. Although there are certainly valid criticisms of e-learning, the fact that instruction was able to continue in the midst of a pandemic highlights just how much technology allowed education to evolve. Now, almost every lecture or assignment can be completed online, ensuring that education can continue even after future pandemics or natural disasters.

While e-learning is certainly new, the advancement of technology has always correlated with expanded access to education [4]. Think about it: 500 years ago, the only educational materials were books, and books were only available to the extremely well-off. However, the technological innovation of the printing press made books far more available for middle and lower-class people. Now, thanks to the Internet, there are millions of educational websites and videos available to all. Today, a student can learn calculus or biology from reliable sources on their own time, for free. While some may criticize technology for “dumbing down” our youth, it’s a simple fact: Technological progress leads to greater access to education.

How Tech Changed Business

Even before the pandemic, technology was radically changing the modern office. One of the biggest changes in the past twenty years has been the way employees share information with each other. Although email existed twenty years ago, it was certainly in its infancy, and when files needed to be shared, physical documents were printed off and delivered. Now, most documents are shared electronically, without the need for paper and ink, helping to save businesses time and money. Outside of file-sharing, even the way workers communicate with each other has greatly changed. Today, software applications like Slack make it easy for employees to communicate without anyone being left out of the loop. Technological advances have made office communication digital and instantaneous, making the necessary transition to remote work during the pandemic relatively simple.

Outside of office communication, technology has allowed businesses to increase efficiency in nearly every department. From resumé software to digital marketing, technology has greatly changed the way businesses operate. Unfortunately, this also means that the businesses that haven’t embraced technology are at risk of going under. After all, if your business doesn’t have a digital presence, such as social media or a simple website, it may as well not exist. 

Technology has fundamentally changed the way work gets done in the United States, and it’s not done changing either. In twenty years, Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of the “Metaverse” may become our everyday office. One thing is known: If it can save money, businesses will continue to test and use innovative modern technology.

How Tech Changed Cybersecurity

Twenty years ago, “cybersecurity” was little more than simply having a password. Unfortunately, as technology has progressed, so have cybercriminals. Today, features like encryption, multi-factor authorization, and artificial intelligence are the norm when it comes to cybersecurity. 

It’s no coincidence that the technological advancement of computers and their related technologies is correlated with the number of cybercriminal attacks [5].

In 2002, cybercriminals mostly utilized phishing attacks to make their money. Cybercriminals used fake emails and pop-ups to trick users into divulging their names, addresses, credit card information, or even Social Security numbers. Thankfully, most of these phishing attacks were easy to identify [5]. However, cybercriminals quickly learned even more efficient methods of making money. Today, ransomware is the main tool that cybercriminal organizations use to wreak havoc around the world. Much more efficient than individual phishing emails, ransomware can shut down an entire business, forcing executives to pay millions in order to get their data back. Put simply, as technology has advanced, so too have cybercriminals. It’s an unfortunate fact, but all hope is not lost.

While cybercriminals are taking advantage of modern technology for a quick buck, more savory organizations are also working to prioritize security. Even AXEL is utilizing modern cybersecurity technology in innovative ways to protect users. One of AXEL’s patents, US11159306B2, describes a token identification system that allows users to perform transactions privately, while making the transaction verification public. This technology prioritizes the digital privacy of users, secures the specific aspects of the transaction, and offers public verification. Patents like this are being presented, approved, and utilized every day, creating a more private, secure Internet. So while cybercriminals may be quick to exploit technological flaws, an army of individuals and businesses are ready to fight for digital security.

About AXEL

Technology will continue to advance, and our lives will become more digitized than ever before. That’s why data security and user privacy remain as important as ever. At AXEL we believe that privacy is a human right, and that your information deserves the best protection. That’s why we created AXEL Go. AXEL Go uses military-grade encryption, blockchain technology and decentralized servers to ensure it’s the best file transfer software on the market. Whether you need cloud video storage or cloud file management, AXEL Go is the secure file hosting solution. If you’re ready to try the best file sharing app for PC and mobile devices, try two free weeks of AXEL Go here.

[1] Dolgin, Elie. “The Tangled History of mRNA Vaccines.” Nature News. Nature Publishing Group, September 14, 2021. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02483-w

[2] “19% Of Americans Use Wearable Fitness Trackers and MHealth Apps.” Mercom Capital Group, October 13, 2021. https://mercomcapital.com/90-americans-wearable-mhealth-apps/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20new%20survey,or%20tablet%20app%20(32%25)

[3] Marks, Adam. “Do Exercise Trackers Make You Healthier?” Ace.edu, February 16, 2021. https://www.ace.edu/blog/post/2021/02/16/do-exercise-trackers-make-you-healthier

[4] “How Has Technology Changed Education?” Purdue University Online.. https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/how-has-technology-changed-education

[5] Acharjee, Sauvik. “The Evolution of Cybercrime: An Easy Guide (2021).” Jigsaw Academy, February 13, 2021. https://www.jigsawacademy.com/blogs/cyber-security/evolution-of-cybercrime/

How Remote Work Affects the Legal Profession

The lockdowns and restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic transformed the way people work. This is especially true for legal professionals, as attorneys used to long hours in the office and courtroom were mandated to work from home. It was a considerable departure from business-as-usual and resulted in significant ramifications for the industry.

A unique sector

The legal industry is a notorious laggard when it comes to embracing technological advancements. And, for good reason too! Who would want to go digital after sparing no expense on all those leatherbound legal tomes that look so classy adorning the office bookshelf? Kidding aside, it’s true; in 2018, over 80% of Legal Departments claimed they were unprepared for digital transformation[1]. While late 2018 may seem like eons ago after spending the past year cooped up, it was well after most industries embraced the advantages of increased digitalization.

Then, the pandemic hit, and law firms scrambled to condense a decade’s worth of technological evolution into a few months. With nearly all organizations experiencing problems due to COVID-19, it is not surprising that the legal profession was especially susceptible. It’s easy to argue that this accelerated implementation is a good thing in the long run, but let’s look at some of the short-term growing pains.

Increased cyber attacks

Law firms are already high-priority targets for hackers due to their business’s inherently confidential and sensitive nature. The fact that firms had to switch to remote working basically overnight exacerbates this problem. Whereas traditional cybersecurity deals with setting up and maintaining perimeter defenses, what happens when there is no longer a definable perimeter?

Attorneys in the same practice are now spread out throughout their regions. Some may only use approved devices to do work, while others skirt guidelines and conduct business on their personal phones, tablets, laptops, or PCs. Some firms may not even have concrete policies in the first place! These significant discrepancies increase the attack surface for malicious agents. It’s unlikely that the IT department or third-party cybersecurity firm can monitor every single device each lawyer will be using. This unfortunate dynamic resulted in more instances of:

  • Phishing. Scammers posing as legitimate colleagues or clients send emails or other forms of communication to trick victims into clicking malware-infested links and attachments. Phishing attempts rose across the board last year, with some analysts claiming an increase of 85% over pre-COVID levels[2].
  • Ransomware. Once threat actors compromise a computer system, they often attempt to install ransomware. This type of malware encrypts as much data as it can find on the system, then the hacker group responsible for the attack demands a ransom to restore it. Incidents of ransomware rose significantly in 2020[3], with high-profile attacks such as the one against celebrity law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas and Sacks. In that case, hackers demanded a $42 million (!) ransom, which, when left unpaid, resulted in privileged client data leaked to the Dark Web[4].

Slower data breach detection

Due to many of the same variables mentioned above (lack of consistent monitoring, use of unapproved hardware, users spread across a wider geographic area), remote work increases the time it takes to detect data breaches. In an IBM survey, 76% of respondents agreed with that conclusion[5]. In the field of Law, where cybersecurity budgets are already stretched thin, this is a major issue.  Slower detection times can mean more time for hackers to map out networks, leading to more inaccessible files, higher ransoms, and larger overall breaches that can irreparably damage a practice’s reputation.

Shifting job expectations

Attorneys (especially Junior or mid-level ones) typically have pretty rigid schedules and expectations. The pandemic has thrown this into flux. Lawyers with children are the most affected. If the parents are working from home, chances are the kids are distance learning too. This means that professionals who usually have a large window of the day’s time blocked off specifically for their career now have to share that time with parental duties.

Firms must meet these new requirements by allowing for schedule flexibility or even reduced workloads. Otherwise, an already-stressful occupation becomes unmanageable, leading to poor performance.

Disrupted development tracks

Younger attorneys gain experience and learn on-the-job. Working from home can stunt their professional growth and take away otherwise organically-appearing opportunities. This is because they lose the ability to attend events such as hearings, depositions, witness meetings, and more with their experienced colleagues.

It also prevents interactions with senior attorneys in the office or courthouse halls. This can adversely affect the chances of a helpful mentorship and important professional relationships. While digital correspondence and interaction are possible, many parts of an in-person exchange cannot be replicated on a Zoom call or email.

Ways to deal with these issues

In a time with reduced revenues, investing in large-scale cybersecurity projects is probably not a viable option. So, while hiring more IT professionals or a dedicated SOC-as-a-Service (Security Operations Center) company to shore up your networks is a great idea, it may not be possible.  We recommend implementing other low-cost suggestions to protect your organization.

  • Ongoing cybersecurity training. Most of the time, organizations can avoid data breaches by training employees on the basics of cybersecurity best practices. Consult with your IT team and construct an ongoing curriculum that informs your team how to spot phishing emails and what policies your firm has in place regarding data sharing, personal device usage, and more.
  • Require strong passwords and 2-Factor Authentication (2FA). Prevent brute force attacks by requiring team members to set up strong, phrase-based passwords. Then, mandate 2FA for all logins to firm networks through unrecognized hardware. Unless you’re dealing with extremely sophisticated hackers, these two no-cost solutions offer excellent protection.
  • Vet new software and cloud solutions. If your practice didn’t allow working from home previously, chances are you’ll need to invest in some cloud or enterprise solutions. Make sure you use trusted vendors with documented cybersecurity safeguards. Remember, your system is only as strong as the weakest link. A lesson that law firm Goodwin Procter recently learned when hackers breached their third-party file transfer vendor[6].
  • Utilize data encryption. Encrypting your data is essential these days. Strong encryption means even if malicious agents could breach your system and access information, it wouldn’t be useful or even viewable unless they had the decryption key.
  • Implement Access Controls. Everyone in your organization doesn’t need access to all the potential files on the network. While it might take some work to segment and decide individual permissions, doing so promotes resiliency. It means that if someone is able to hack a low-level employee, they don’t automatically gain access to highly confidential information.
  • Have a mitigation plan. As of 2019, 25% of firms have experienced a data breach, and 36% report malware infections. Knowing this, a mitigation plan is crucial. All of the top-level decision-makers need to get together and agree on a roadmap for damage reduction. It could be the difference between an unfortunate blip or the complete loss of client trust.
  • Remain flexible. As we’ve seen, cybersecurity is only a part of the work-from-home equation. Firms also need to ensure their lawyers are in a good mental state and in a position to provide high-performance to their clients. This may mean making some changes regarding work schedules and workloads. Allowing this flexibility can actually be a good thing for clients as well, as perhaps some of their schedules will line up better this way.
  • Facilitate interactions. Don’t neglect the everyday interactions that make practicing law special, especially for your junior attorneys. Perhaps you could set up office hours with the senior team or have an open Zoom room for your organization where everyone has to check in daily to preserve basic socialization.

These trying times present new challenges every day. Your organization can weather the storm and come out better for it on the other side. Take the situation seriously and evolve intelligently, and you’ll be fine.

Protect your documents

Having a trusted data transfer solution is critical to protecting your firm’s and clients’ confidential information. As the situation with Goodwin Procter confirms, your organization needs a vendor committed to preventing hacks.

AXEL Go is a cloud file-sharing and storage solution that puts security and privacy first. It runs on a decentralized and distributed network that is resilient to breaches. All data transferred via AXEL Go is split into smaller pieces called ‘shards’ and spread across many secure servers. Your files can also be protected using AES 256-bit encryption, ensuring industry-leading data security for your most sensitive documents. If your firm needs a data transfer and storage solution, contact us today to discuss your needs and schedule a demo.

 

 

[1] Rob van der Meulen, “Gartner Says 81 Percent of Legal Departments Are Unprepared for Digitalization”, Gartner, Dec. 12, 2018, https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-12-12-gartner-says-81-percent-of-legal-departments-are-unprepared-for-digitalization

[2] Phil Muncaster, “Experts Detect 30,000% Increase in #COVID19 Threats”, Infosecurity Magazine, Apr. 27, 2020, https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/experts-detect-30000-increase/

[3] “Mid-Year Threat Landscape Report 2020”, BitDefender, 2020, https://www.bitdefender.com/files/News/CaseStudies/study/366/Bitdefender-Mid-Year-Threat-Landscape-Report-2020.pdf

[4] Akshaya Asokan, “Ransomware Gang Demands $42 Million From Celebrity Law Firm”, Bank Info Security, May 16, 2020, https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/ransomware-gang-demands-42-million-from-celebrity-law-firm-a-14292

[5] “Cost of a Data Breach 2020”, IBM Security, 2020, https://www.ibm.com/security/digital-assets/cost-data-breach-report/#/

[6] Meghan Tribe, “Goodwin Procter Says It Was Hit by Data Breach of Vendor”, Bloomberg Law, Feb. 2, 2021, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/goodwin-procter-says-it-was-hit-by-data-breach-of-vendor

Can Creatives Make Money from Their Passion?

Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

While this mantra inspires a sense of hope, for most people it’s also a slap in the face because they realize they’ll never get paid for doing something they love.

Making money from a passion is the holy grail for a lot of people – and why wouldn’t it be? Waking up each morning to spend the day doing something you’d do in your spare time anyway is an incredibly attractive prospect.

But then reality sets in.

We’ve all heard the story about the photographer who quits their office job to travel the world hunting for the Nat Geo shot that will change their life. Or the story about the writer who packs up their temporary job in a bar to work on their novel.

At the beginning, the passion levels are high and hopes are fully stacked. But after a couple of months, it’s the same old story. There’s no money coming in, that much-coveted Nat Geo shot hasn’t been found, and nobody has read the novel.

The photographer walks back into their old office with their tail between their legs to beg for their job back, and the writer is once again pulling pints six days a week.

Because getting paid for your passion is hard.

Why?

Because there are other people out there who are willing to do their passion for free.

Photographers take photos and upload them online for no money, writers share their stories on platforms that are totally free, and artists readily give their works to galleries to exhibit in exchange for absolutely nothing.

So when it comes to monetizing a creative passion, it is impossible – but only if you make it that way.

Love Isn’t Enough

If you asked a room full of people why they deserve to make money from their passion, I’m willing to bet the vast majority will say because they love it.

They truly believe that their love for it will bring in the money.

And while that does sometimes work, it’s absolutely not the norm.

In fact, most people suffer from this notion that if they love something hard enough it’ll fall into their lap.

But just because you are so incredibly passionate about something, it doesn’t mean that other people care about it in the same way.

Creatives all around the world forget to join up the dots between doing something they love and doing something other people care about. Without persuading other people to give a damn, you’re going to struggle to get people to part with their hard-earned cash.

But this is just one reason why a lot of people fail at monetizing their passion.

Monetizing Passion in the Wrong Way

Perhaps the biggest reason most people don’t make money doing what they love is because they have no idea how to make money doing what they love.

For creatives in particular, there are so many different ways to monetize what they do that they often fall into the trap of trying to do too many things – and they’re often the wrong things.

Let’s take a look at three of the main ways creatives try – and usually fail – to monetize their passion.

Advertising

Advertising is one of the simplest ways for creatives to earn a few bucks. It’s easy to set up and it works as a kind of passive income that keeps ticking away while they carry on with their craft.

Except that it’s incredibly difficult to earn any kind of decent money by relying on click-throughs from ads.

Take a writer who wants to monetize their words, for example.

They set up a blog and start writing about their favorite films and the latest movie releases in the hopes that at some point they’ll be able to earn some money from their reviews either by selling them to magazines or via the blog itself.

After a month or so they set up advertising on their site so that every time a visitor clicks on an ad, they earn a small amount of money.

The problem with this is it’s not the writer’s passion that’s making them the money, it’s the second-hand power of advertising. The writer isn’t making money directly from their words, instead they’re hoping people come to the site and click on an ad (which actually takes the visitor away from the site and the writer’s words).

Affiliate Sales

Then there’s affiliate sales.

This is when someone sells another person’s or brand’s products for a cut of the sale. So a photographer might share camera equipment on Amazon and, if anyone buys through their unique link, they’ll get a percentage of the sale price.

The problem here is that the photographer is selling someone else’s product or service; they’re not making money from their passion.

Marketplaces

Finally, creatives often upload their work to larger websites that already have big audiences to sell their wares to – think stock photo sites, for example.

When someone uploads a piece of content they’ve created and someone buys it, the site generally takes cut – usually 50% or more – but in return the creative gets access to a readymade audience.

So What’s the Solution? How Can Creatives Monetize Their Passion?

If you’re sticking to the above methods to earn some money from what you make, it might well be impossible to monetize your passion. Not because you don’t love it enough or because you’re failing, but because you’re not doing it the right way for you and your business.

Lots of people will tell you that you need to do this and do that to succeed, but every business is different – especially creative businesses. Slowly but surely, people are wising up to just how valuable the creative industries are and are starting to value the work of artists more and more.

Moving towards the model of selling directly to buyers can help eliminate middlemen and commission fees, but it’s worth trying out several different methods until you find one that works for your business.

What it boils down to is this: yes, it is impossible to monetize your passion if you don’t do it in the right way for you.

Burnout is Real: How Content Creators Can Stay Creative When Money is Involved

Imagine waking up in the morning not foggy-headed from the buzz of your alarm, but wide awake and ready to start the day. You grab a coffee, sit down at your easel, grab your camera, or flip open a fresh page in your notebook and get to work.

For many creatives, this is the dream.

But the harsh reality is that the vast majority won’t ever get to experience making a living from their passion, and will instead spend their lives cramming their creative pursuit into any spare moment they have.

But why is this paradox so true for artists, writers, and makers?

Isn’t there a saying that says if you love something enough the money will follow?

The truth is it’s incredibly hard for creatives to transition from creating for personal pleasure to creating for an audience or clients to a deadline and a budget.

As soon as you bring money into the equation, things get a lot more transactional and the bright sparks of creativity are often quashed under multiple revisions and the limited visions of agencies.

This is where burnout raises its ugly head.

When we start creating for others, we lose the drive that we had when we were creating for ourselves and this can drastically reduce our motivation levels.

In fact, psychological research shows that we are at our most creative when we are drive by intrinsic motivation (a.k.a. motivation that comes from within ourselves), whereas focusing on extrinsic motivation (a.k.a. money and fame) can instantly kill any sense of creativity we had in the first place.

And we’ve all felt pretty drab about a task that doesn’t excite us. When we’re not enamored by a project, it’s almost impossible to do our best work regardless of what reward lies on the other side.

As soon as you take your passion from the desk in your back room to the digital stage of the online world, negative thought patterns like comparisonitis and professional jealousy can consume large chunks of our creativity and lead to real-life burnout.

Why Creatives Experience Burnout When Money is Involved

The online world is an anonymous place where people can be anyone they want to be because they’re hidden away behind the safety of a screen. This is precisely why many online platforms place heavy emphasis on being authentic – and this carries over into the creative world, too.

We’re always told to stay “true to our art” and never sell out. Keep doing what we’re doing and the rewards will follow. Never change for anyone. If you do all that, your creative career will fall into your lap.

That’s a load of old hokey, though.

Making money from anything requires strategic thinking, forward planning, and a helluva lot of perseverance. Trial and error become your two best friends, and that’s before you remember that you have to actually sell something to make money.

For creatives, their passion is pure and authentic in the truest sense.

Even whisper the word marketing or sales and you’re immediately a sell-out or some kind of slick-haired, slimey salesman.

What it boils down to is this: as soon as creatives start selling their passion, whether it’s paintings, photographs, or books, they have to think about marketing and sales. It’s an inevitable part of business.

But thinking about marketing and sales also means studying competitors, comparing other brands, and – god forbid – asking people to buy from you. These things all suck away at creativity, leaving many artists and creators burnt out and feeling like absolute sell outs.

It’s Difficult to Make Money with Art

And then we also have to remember that the creative world is so subjective and at the mercy of buyers, which makes it incredibly difficult to make money with art in the first place.

Sure, there are a number of ways creatives get their business off the ground, like:

  • Selling their art through a stock site
  • Building an audience and selling work directly
  • Working through an agency who take a big fat commission
  • Freelancing for corporate brands

But when success doesn’t come instantly (which, just like with anything, it never does), creatives feel slighted and like they’re not good enough – cue burnout and feelings of inferiority.

How to Get Back on Track After Burnout

If you’re in the depths of burnout and are ready to claw your way out of the slump and try again, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve for you.

Remember, Creativity is a Muscle

We aren’t born with a swirling mass of creativity inside us. Just like anything, practice makes perfect because creativity is a muscle.

When you’re experiencing burnout you’re not giving your creativity a workout, which leads you deeper and deeper into the spiral.

But just like you wouldn’t go all out at the gym after three months away from it, you shouldn’t try and dive in headfirst with your creativity. Instead, you need to flex that muscle regularly and gently to make it stronger.

When you look at it like this, you can see that burnout is simply an injury that needs nurturing back to health.

Mix Up Your Creative Input

Burnout leads to less output. Fact. And, according to Austin Kleon’s piece Problems of Output Are Problems of Input, that means you simply need to mix up what you’re putting in.

What does that mean?

It means that if you’re a photographer, you tend to consume all the content to do with photography, like how to get better, how to improve your shots, how this photographer made millions with one picture, and so on.

But when you do this, you’re creating a bubble of same-ness which doesn’t stimulate the brain. To really get those creative juices flowing, you need to broaden your horizons and consume content that’s categorically not related to your discipline.

Break Things Up

As creatives, we tend to only see the bigger picture. We have this end vision in mind and we know we want to get there, but we often don’t know how.

This can lead to feelings of paralysis as we struggle to make the first step towards our big goal.

To avoid this, you can break things down into smaller tasks. Still think about that big, heart-soaring vision, but also think about the little steps you can take to get you there and work on one of them every day or every week.

Burnout is Probably (and Unfortunately) Inevitable  

Burnout is often an inevitable part of life for creatives, particularly those who want to be paid for their passion.

But, like with any business, thinking strategically and taking things day by day will help you get over the paralysis and black slump of burnout and thrive in a way that’s contagious.