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23 June 2008 14:55:56
What’s in a Web Browser
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of Mosaic, the first widely used web browser, which brought the Internet into the hands of ordinary people. The web browser launches when you double-click a familiar icon to ‘surf’ the Internet or click a link in an e-mail to open a web page. The web browser makes requests to millions of web servers for pages, images, sounds or even movies. The way a web browser looks (its interface) makes it so easy that the user isn't aware of what actually goes on in the background to get the information that you want and display it in the browser window. Basic browser features include navigating tools like a toolbar at the top of the page that lets you go back to the previous page or forward to the page you just came from. The home button takes you to the home page you or your firm has chosen. Bookmarks or favorites let you save the addresses of websites that you want to revisit. Reload or refresh loads the webpage again. This is handy when you are updating a blog or checking web based e-mail. A quick refresh will let you know if you have new mail or see new comments. Some browsers can make your web experience safer and easier with security settings that prevent you from opening potentially harmful web pages. Additional features warn you about fake web sites that are 'Phishing' for information from you in order to steal your identify or pop-up blockers that minimize interruptions from unsolicited advertisers. Web browsers are the Internet gateway for most people and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) is the most widely used. This is largely due to Microsoft making IE a part of the Microsoft Windows operating system. This inclusion was believed to have given Microsoft an unfair advantage in the marketplace and resulted in an antitrust suit by the US Justice Department. A public battle for Internet gateway status between Microsoft IE and Netscape Navigator led to continual improvements in web browser software but only one survived the war. For some time Microsoft enjoyed up to 95% of market share (see article) but new browsers gained widespread popularity. Competitors to IE have responded to demand and created more secure, multi-platform web browsers that will run on the Macintosh Operating system and Linux as well as Microsoft Windows. Each browser has unique features that can improve your Internet experience. Current browsers can have a built in search function that will use your favorite search engines on any page. Features called Add-ins or plug-ins let you customize your experience on the web. For example, if you are an eBay user, for example, Firefox has an add-in that keeps track of your bidding. A web browser should help make your web experience more enjoyable and productive. Below we’ve provided information about several popular web browsers.
23 June 2008 14:50:25
Lawyers and Twitter
“What are you doing?” Lawyers are answering that question amongst themselves and the world at large with a free technology tool called Twitter. Twitter is a micro blogging service that allows users to make posts or "tweets" limited to 140 characters to the people who care called “followers”. Updates are displayed on the user's Twitter page and instantly delivered to “followers” who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone is the default). Users can send or receive Twitter updates via the website, instant messaging, SMS text messages, RSS, email or through applications like Twitterrific for the Macintosh or Facebook. ABA TECHSHOW 2008 used Twitter to help conference attendees better communicate and network. Conference attendees were encouraged to Twitter colleagues to let them know when they just heard or saw something really cool, or that there’s a raffle drawing happening in a few minutes, if you’re looking for someone interested in a particular subject or if an important session is about to start. Lawyers who Twitter
Getting Started It’s easy to get started with Twitter. Create a free user id and password and if you have a blog or website, there is a place to include that information as well. Once you’ve logged in, Twitter will offer to check your Microsoft Office contacts to see if anyone you know is already using Twitter. We strongly suggest skipping this option. Once you are on Twitter, you can search for people you know (or the people mentioned in this article!). You can usually see who other people on Twitter are following and who is following them and add them to your profile by deciding to follow them yourself. Micro blogging (text limited, like Twitter to 140 characters or less) can be a great, low pressure way to get involved with social networking. If there’s a point you’d like to make that exceeds the character limit, you can always refer people to your blog, e-mail, or website where you can elaborate. Twitter is a good way to keep up with the people who are important to you, the people you are “following” in Twitter parlance. It can keep you connected with your inner circle or expand your circle of influence. Additional Information
23 June 2008 14:47:36
Access Granted – Biometric Security
Once the stuff of spy movies and secret agents, systems accessed by iris, voice and handprint recognition are now mainstream and affordable. Biometrics use an individual’s body or physical attributes to confirm identify and grant access to system data. Common biometric identifiers are fingerprints, voice patterns, face geometry, hand geometry, retinal scans, signatures, and typing patterns. The ongoing management of passwords, including the periodic forced changing of them and the cost of re-setting forgotten passwords and restoring system access has driven the development of human characteristic recognition systems. Traditional security methods can be breached if the password is discovered by an unauthorized person. However, neither fingerprints nor any two irises – even your own two or those of identical twins – are identical. This adds another layer of security to prevent valuable information from falling into the wrong hands. An unauthorized attempt to power on the computer or access the contents of your computer will result in computer data being hidden or the computer failing to boot up. Due to technological advances, you don’t have to be Agent 007 to “get smart” about using biometrics to restrict access to your confidential data. The Microsoft Fingerprint Reader – allows you to log on to your computer and your favorite web sites with the touch of your finger, saving you the trouble of having to remember several passwords. Simply place your finger on the receiver whenever a password or username is required. The APC Biometric Mouse Password Manager works similarly. A number of laptop computers systems come with integrated fingerprint recognition sensors, including the HP Pavilion, and Dell laptops computers. Lenovo laptops (formerly IBM Thinkpad) also have standard integrated fingerprint readers and VeriFace™ Face Recognition. The Toshiba Satellite also offers face recognition technology as a security option. If your notebook has no fingerprint reader built-in, the XMicro® fingerprint notebook Guard is available as an accessory. No identification method is fool proof. Fingerprint authentication has been circumvented by lifting the owners print and using a fake finger. Security technologist Bruce Schneier, cautions against placing all of your eggs in the biometric basket. However, biometrics is now an affordable option to add to your security arsenal. Biometrics, in combination with strong passwords, encryption and security cables with locks should be part of the strategy to safeguard your data. 23 June 2008 12:43:41
Model Rule 5.3 and Your Technical/Computer Staff
Rule 5.3 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides that an attorney with managerial or direct supervisory authority over a nonlawyer has a duty to take reasonable steps to assure that the “person’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations of the lawyer.” This rule presents a challenge in an age when attorneys are increasingly reliant on IT staff and computer/technical consultants. Unlike more traditional “nonlawyer” employees including paralegals, legal assistants, and law clerks, IT staff typically aren’t involved with clients or cases yet often have unfettered access to the digitally-stored confidential data related to those clients or cases. Indeed, in many law firms the duty of safeguarding confidential data - by maintaining computers, implementing security features, or orchestrating backup procedures - is entirely delegated to nonlawyer employees. In that context, the results of a recent information security study conducted in the US may be troubling to some attorneys. According to the Cyber-Ark study of 300 senior IT professionals, one-third admitted to “snooping” on confidential data ranging from salary details to personal email, and nearly half of the respondents admitted accessing information that was irrelevant to their job duties. In light of this survey and the professional duty imposed by Model Rule 5.3, attorneys would be well advised to consider whether they are taking the appropriate “reasonable steps” to supervise the nonlawyer individuals they hire or retain to handle their technical and computer needs. But what constitutes “reasonable steps” in supervising your employees? Attorneys will need to investigate their state’s equivalent of the model rule and any corresponding ethical opinions for precise guidance. A first step is educating your employees about the sensitivity of certain information and the duty to guard its confidentiality. Attorneys should also consider formal, written policies for their employees or even a signed confidentiality agreement. 23 June 2008 10:36:35
Introducing Firefox 3
The finalized new third version of the web browser Firefox was released on June 17, 2008, with more than 8 million downloads in 24 hours. Firefox is currently the second-most popular web browser, with around 18% market share worldwide in May, behind Microsoft Internet Explorer. New features in Firefox 3 include re-engineered bookmarks, history, and search functionalities designed to make online browsing and research more efficient.
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