This document discusses the importance of confidentiality and provides tips for protecting confidential data and communications. It outlines potential consequences of breaching confidentiality such as embarrassment, damage to clients or reputation, and loss of trust or future business. The document then provides guidance on safe practices for communication technologies, metadata, redaction, destruction of documents, and use of confidentiality agreements to protect sensitive information.

1. Confidentiality in the Information Age: How to Protect Yourself and Your Data Beverly A. Michaelis, J.D. Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund

2. Why is Confidentiality Important?

3. Embarrassment Damage to your client Damage to your reputation Loss of trust Loss of future business Consider the Consequences…

4. Communication Technologies Metadata Redaction Destruction Confidentiality Agreements Topics

5. Communication Technologies E-mail Fax Remote Access

6. E-Mail & Fax Verify Send a greeting Understand auto-complete Resist “Reply to All” Use disclaimers

7. Remote Access + Unencrypted + No firewalls + Unsecured Wi-Fi = Breach of Confidentiality Consider Air Cards

8. Metadata

9. Always Inspect Copy Document First Office Button Prepare Inspect Document

10. Invoke Warnings

11. Best Practices Individual Documents in Acrobat Document > Examine Document… All Documents In Acrobat Edit > Preferences > Document > Examine Document When closing document When sending document by e-mail

12. Redaction What? The permanent removal of text or images Why? Protect confidential content during peer review How? Through proper use of software

13. Changing the background color Covering sensitive text with fill What Redaction is NOT

14. Use Acrobat to Redact

15. Shred paper Wipe hard drives www.dban.com Properly dispose of electronics http://www.abanet.org/tech/ltrc/fyidocs/ http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/ecycle/index.htm Destruction

16. Confidentiality Agreements Employees Temps Outsourcing

17. Embarrassment Damage to your client Damage to your reputation Loss of trust Loss of future business Consider the Consequences…

18. Thank You! Beverly Michaelis Practice Management Advisor [email_address] 503-639-6911 or 800-452-1639 Twitter: http://twitter.com/OreLawPracMgm t Blog: http://oregonlawpracticemanagement.wordpress.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/beverlymichaelis