The security of documents and files is a key concern for legal firms. Your clients trust you to safeguard their information and keep it private. You want to be sure that confidential information remains confidential and that someone doesn't change or release your documents without your authorization. You are responsible for the security of the information and files in your care. You can do more to protect your files than rely on your firm's IT department.

To protect the integrity of your information and legal documents, there are some easy steps you can take. By requiring passwords for users to access your files, you can protect your documents from unauthorized access, changes, and distribution. You can specify what types of revisions that users can make to your files. When you create passwords, follow the guidelines for creating strong — more secure — passwords.

You can also restrict access to files by using Information Rights Management (IRM) in Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003. You can use IRM to specify which people have permission to access a file and to set user access levels.

The following information and tools can help you keep your legal documents safe and your clients' sensitive information private.

• Secure documents and files (Article)
  Protect your files in Word 2003, Excel 2003, and PowerPoint 2003.
• Add password protection to your notes (Article)
  Protect sections of your notebook with a password in OneNote 2003.
• Create content with restricted permission (Article)
  Use Information Rights Management to secure your files by restricting access to them.
• Help protect yourself: Security in Office (Training)
  Discover what digital signatures, macros, viruses, and strong passwords have to do with computer and document security.