Helmlight Consulting LLC

Small Law Firm Technology Ownership Checklist

If you answer "No" to several items below, your firm may have technology ownership, account access, backup, or business continuity issues worth reviewing.

Introduction

Check each statement that is true for your firm.

Many technology problems do not begin with malware, ransomware, or system failures.

They begin when nobody is completely sure who controls critical business systems, where important information is stored, or how access would be recovered if something unexpected happened.

Use this checklist to evaluate whether your firm maintains ownership, control, and visibility over the technology it relies on every day.

Email and Domain Ownership

☐ We know who owns our domain name.

☐ More than one trusted person can access the domain registrar account.

☐ Business email accounts are not tied to a former employee.

☐ Administrative access to email systems is documented.

☐ Recovery information for email administrator accounts is current.

Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace

☐ We know who the Global Administrator (Microsoft 365) or Super Administrator (Google Workspace) is.

☐ MFA is enabled for administrator accounts.

☐ Administrative access is limited to appropriate personnel.

☐ Recovery methods have been reviewed within the last year.

☐ Former employees no longer have access.

Files and Document Storage

☐ We know where client files are stored.

☐ Staff are using approved storage locations.

☐ Multiple copies of the same files are not scattered across devices.

☐ Access permissions are reviewed periodically.

☐ Confidential information is not stored in unexpected locations.

Account and Access Control

☐ Each employee has their own account.

☐ Shared passwords are not routinely used.

☐ Former employees have been removed from systems.

☐ Vendor access is reviewed periodically.

☐ Administrative accounts are documented.

Backups and Recovery

☐ Critical data is backed up.

☐ Backup systems are documented.

☐ Backup restores have been tested.

☐ More than one person knows how to access backups.

☐ Backup credentials and recovery information are available if needed.

Employee Departures and Business Continuity

☐ There is a documented offboarding process.

☐ Firm systems are not dependent on a single individual.

☐ Technology ownership information is documented.

☐ Key account credentials can be recovered if necessary.

☐ The firm could maintain access to critical systems if a key employee left unexpectedly.

How Did You Score?

25–30 Checked

Strong technology ownership and control practices are in place.

18–24 Checked

Most key areas appear covered, but some gaps may exist.

Fewer Than 18 Checked

Your firm may have technology ownership, access control, backup, or business continuity issues worth reviewing.

Need Help Reviewing Your Results?

Helmlight Consulting works with solo attorneys and small law firms to identify technology ownership issues, account access risks, backup concerns, and operational technology challenges before they become larger problems.

Schedule a Consultation

Chapel Hill, NC

919.913.5004

info@helm-light.com