Email Security

In addition to the other IT upgrades in progress, we have been focusing on email security.  We have made a few changes in the last few days, and are planning a few more to come.

Quarantine Mail

Some of you may have notice an email in your inbox this morning from quarantine@messaging.microsoft.com.  The email contains a list of emails that were blocked from your inbox, and gives you the opportunity to download any emails you wish to receive.

Until very recently, we did not block any email that was addressed to you.  This email is a result of recent changes.  We implemented this feature to reduce the amount of spam and other unwanted email that arrives in your inbox each day.  The quarantine email is a daily summary of the email that we are blocking.  You only receive one email each day rather than receiving perhaps dozens of spam emails over the course of the day.

This will not block all spam, but hopefully reduces the amount that you receive.  Note that some mail is delivered to your mailbox and is diverted to your junk mail folder.  You may want to check that folder from time to time as well.

Encrypted Mail

Another feature recently added is the ability to send secure encrypted messages.  All internal mail is already encrypted.  But when you send to an outside party, email must necessarily be unencrypted in order for the recipient to be able to access it.

The firm now offers an option to send emails and attachments in a more secure way.  If you type  "securemail" or "#securemail" into the subject or text of an email, the recipient will receive a notices that says:

"You've received an encrypted message from [sender] To view your message Save and open the attachment (message.html), and follow the instructions. Sign in using the following email address [recipent's address]."

The email contains an attachment called "message.html" which the recipient must download and open.  It contains a message:

"Encrypted message
From [sender]
To [recipient]
To view the message, sign in with a Microsoft account, your work or school account, or use a one-time passcode."

If the recipient is already a Microsoft user, he/she can log in and access the text of your email and any attachments.  If not, the recipient can request a temporary pass code which is sent as a second email from Microsoft.  The recipient can use that code to access the content of your email.

If this sounds like a number of extra steps for the recipient, it is.  You may also get calls from recipients saying that this email looks suspicious to them.  Many hackers send similar emails to get users to download suspicious html files and open them on their computers.

Despite these concerns, you should use the secure mail option for any emails that contain private information.  This can include personally identifiable information (PII) such as birth dates or Social Security Numbers.  It would also include any medical records protected under HIPAA.

Box Links

If you want to get confidential information to someone outside the office, and do not want to go through the securemail option, there is another option available to you, at least for the offices that have already converted to Box.  Instead of attaching a file containing private information to an email, you can upload the document to Box.  Then, send an email to the recipient with a link to the document on Box.  The recipient can click on that link and download the information over an encrypted connection.

Multi-factor Authentication

Another feature that is coming soon is multi-factor authentication (MFA) also sometimes called Two-factor authentication (2FA).  We are implementing this because of the ever increasing number of hacker attacks on our email accounts.   With this implemented, a hacker cannot access your email, even if he/she knows your password.  Once you enter your email and password, you will be asked to enter a separate code, that is texted to your smart phone.

Once you have authenticated your computer or other device, you will not need to go through the process again, at least for a period of time, after which we may reauthenticate your device.

Again, it is an extra step, but one that is needed to provide the firm with better security.  We have not implemented MFA yet.  We are still working out a few details.  I wanted to let everyone know that it is coming soon.

Handling Suspicous Mail

In our ongoing efforts to protect our network and our client data, we have created a special email where you can send any suspicious emails  that you receive.  If you get anything that looks suspicious, please forward it to spam@margolisedelstein.com.  Do not open any attachments or reply to the sender.  Just forward the email for our evaluation and testing.  It is important that you do not attempt to act on the message yourself.  Hacking attempts via email are becoming more sophisticated every day.  If you have the slightest doubt, suspicion, question or hunch about an email, please forward it to the spam@margolisedelstein.com address for evaluation.

Junk Mail

The move to Microsoft Exchange for Email means that we are now using Microsoft's anti-spam filter instead of Google's filter.  You may find that spam sorting is different from the one to which you grew accustomed.

Junk Mail Folder

First, Google had a folder called "spam."  Outlook calls the folder "junk mail." In each case, our provider attempts to discern what mail is unwanted and what mail you want to see.  At the post office level, we have the ability to set how aggressive we want Microsoft to be in filtering out spam.  We have the setting default to "low" meaning you are likely to see some spam in your inbox, but less likely to get a valid email incorrectly sent to your junk mail folder.  Even so, you may want to check your junk email folder from time to time to make sure you do not miss anything important.

Just like Google did with its spam folder, Microsoft holds junk mail in that folder for 30 days, then deletes it.  So you do not need to worry about manually deleting the messages there.  You should, however, check it regularly to make sure something important does not disappear.

Junk in Inbox

Inevitably, some mail that arrives in your inbox is going to be junk.  When you get such a message, rather than simply deleting it, mark it as "junk".  This helps Microsoft determine what is junk and what is not.  You have the option in Outlook to block a sender or an entire domain.  You can also opt never to block a certain sender, assuring such messages will always arrive in your inbox.

Focused Mail

Beyond messages sent to junk mail, Outlook attempts to discern between important and unimportant mail that goes to your inbox.  It calls important mail "focused" and less important mail "other".   You should see a tab for each category at the top of your inbox.  "Other" mail does not quite meet the classifications for "junk" status, but that Microsoft's AI considers less important or uninteresting for you.

Depending on how you are viewing your mail (via Outlook, Outlook Online, or the Outlook App on your phone or tablet), you may find these two groups mixed together.  On each of your devices you have the ability to turn on or off focused view.  If off, everything simply shows up in your inbox.  If on, less important mail fails in the "other" tab and you are not given an alert when it arrives.  You can make different choices on different devices.

Introduction to IOS 11

This week, Apple has been rolling out IOS 11 to its iPhone and iPad users.  If you have not already,  you will probably get a notice on your device soon that it is time to upgrade.

While it is not urgent, we recommend you upload your iPhones and iPads to the latest OS, both firm devices and your personal ones.  It ensures you have the most current security measures, and also can take advantage of new features.  At some point, your device will start haranguing you to implement the update.  But if you want to do it on your own time schedule, just go into "Settings" then "General" the "Software Update."  Your device should either tell you it has already downloaded the files and would you like to proceed, or you may be asked to download the setup files prior to update.

A few things to consider when downloading the update: Especially if you do not have the setup files downloaded already, the download may take hours.  I strongly recommend being on Wifi for the download, not only to save time, but because downloading over LTE will use about 2 GB, which costs the firm about $20 on our data plan.  If your drive is nearly full, you may need to clear out some space before you can download the large setup files.

Because of the time it takes, you may want to run the upgrade over the weekend while you are at home on your home Wifi. Do it at a time you know you will have a few hours when you do not need your device.  I also recommend doing when you have your device connected to a charger so that the battery does not fail in the middle of the upgrade.  You will need to know your Apple ID and password to restart your phone after the upgrade.  Make sure you know it before you start the upgrade.

Once installed, one of the first things you may notice is the file folder icon added to the bottom of your screen.  This is the new file explorer, something Windows and Android users have enjoyed for years but which is new to Apple.  You can not only explore your local drive but can connect to cloud storage, including Box.

Also, you should notice an improved dictation service.  You can use the microphone on the pop up keyboard to dictate text into just about any app.  If you use handwriting in Apple Notes, the new IOS can use word recognition to identify your handwritten words.

Apple has improved the ability to cut and paste, move text between documents or move documents between applications.

For more details on the changes, you may want to read this article on macromors.com.

Moving Your Contacts and Calendars from Google to Exchange

Our migration tool should have brought over your Google Contacts and Calendar information.  If it did not, you can export this information manually from Google and import it into your Microsoft account.  Below are step by step instructions:

Contacts

1. Export from Google by opening Gmail 
2. Click on your contacts in the left column below the ME logo.
3. In Contacts, click on "More" which is at the top of your contacts list.
4. From there, click on "export"
5. This should bring up an Export box, like the one shown here.
6. You can select all contacts, or select specific ones you want to move.
7. Make sure to select your format as "Outlook CSV format"
8. Click on the "export button.

Import into Outlook

1. Open MS Outlook
2. Click on "File"
3. Click on "Open & Export" 
4. Click on "Import/Export"
5. Select "Import from another program or file" and hit "next"
6. Choose "Comma Separated Value (CSV) and hit next.
7. Select the CSV file you just created (it's probably in your "downloads" folder).
8. I recommend selecting the option to replace duplicates with items imported and hit "next."
9. Select your contacts at the destination and "next"
10. Hit "finish"

Calendar 

Export from Google:

1. Open your Google Account again and open calendar
2. Click on the Gear in the upper right hand corner and select "settings"
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click on the calendars tab, then select the calendar you want to export.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click on "export this calendar"
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. This will download the calendar into a zip file.
6. You will want to open the zip file and extract it to save on your computer.
   
   

Import into Outlook

1. The first part of these instructions are the same as importing the contacts above, Open Outlook again and go to "file"
2. Click on "Open & Export" 
3. Click on "Import/Export"
4. Select "Import an icalendar (.ics)" and hit "next"
5. Select the ICS file you downloaded from Google and unzipped.
6. Typically, you would import this into your existing calendar.
   

Picking Teams

One of the expressed goals for the firm this year has been to encourage everyone to use an email alternative.  The firm would like to cut down on the use of email for internal communications.

As part of the move from Google Mail to Microsoft Exchange, we are transitioning from more than just mail.  Many other Google features that had been available to us have similar features in the Microsoft universe.

Some of you may have been using Google Hangouts, a program that permits instant messaging and chat between users.  Many find it much faster and conducive to a back and forth discussion than email.  We are leaving Google Hangouts behind, and are replacing it with Microsoft Teams.

Everyone's Office 365 account now includes Teams.  Like most Microsoft applications, you can access a web version through your Office 365 portal, or directly via the website:  https://teams.microsoft.com.  There is also a free program you can download to your Windows computer, or Apps available for your Apple or Android devices.

Regardless of how you access teams, you have the ability to create and continue group chats with multiple people, or simply start a one on one chat with someone else.

The firm plans to make a bigger push to use Teams this fall, and plans to integrate it with FileVine early next year.  If you want to get a jump on things, you may want to start using Teams now and get used to its features.  The expectation is that this will become the primary vehicle for all in-office communications.

Google Drive

Now that the firm has retired Gmail, we are also leaving  all the other features included in Google's G Suite.  Aside from email, the most commonly used feature is Google Drive.

The firm has determined that it will NOT be converting the contents of Google Drive to Box.  Too many people have too much junk in Drive that is not necessary to bring into Box.

That said, if you have information in Google Drive that you want to save, you have several options.  First, if you only have a small number of files, you can download them yourself.  You can download a file for older from your Google Drive and convert it to Microsoft format if currently in Google format.  This will allow you to continue to work on the documents using another program.

If you are using Google Drive (which includes Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides) to extensively to download a few documents yourself, Google also offers an option called Google Takeout.

Takeout allows you to download the entire contents of your Google Drive, or select features.  It will also convert your Google files to a convenient format.  If you want to use Takeout, do the following:

1. Go to https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout
2. Click on "Select None" to turn off all the various Google features.  
3. Scroll down to Google Drive and select only that category.
4. If you don't want to download everything, click on "all files" and then on "select files and folders".  Check only those folders you want to download.
5. Scroll to the bottom and hit "next"
6. You then have the option to select different save formats.  The default "zip" is probably best.  You can also create a maximum size.  I recommend selecting a very large size.  This will ensure everything goes into one download file instead of multiple ones.  
7. Click on "start download"
8. Depending on how many files you have selected, Drive can take minutes or hours to complete. When it has created the download file, you will get an email with a link.  Use that link to download your files.
9. That should be it for now.  Save that zip file in a safe place.  You can open it if you need to use any of the files now.  Otherwise, hang onto it until you go live on Box.com.  Then, you can upload the files into Box.

Of course, if you need assistance, contact the help desk.  We are a little overwhelmed these days, but if you send us an email, we will get your request on our task list and get to you as soon as possible.

Please do not put off this task for too long.  When Google shuts down, we will no longer have access to this data and will not be able to retrieve it.  Google will only remain available for a few more weeks.  It will be going away before most of our offices are up and running in Box.  That is why it is important to save the documents locally before we can make them available to you in Box.

New Email - TONIGHT!

For the last few weeks, we have been migrating copies of all your Google mail to Microsoft's Exchange Online.  Over the weekend we completed all of the initial migrations.  As a result, the firm is planning to move to Exchange tonight (Mon. Aug. 28) at 7:00 PM.

What Will Happen

At present, all of your mail is in two places: both in your Google mailbox and your Exchange mailbox.  This evening at 7PM, we will perform a final synchronization of the two mailboxes.

At the same time, I will change the MX records with our DNS provider. In plain English, that means that I am telling the entire internet that if they send an email anyone using the margolisedelstein.com domain, that mail should go to Microsoft rather than Google.  The sync will continue running all night, just in case an email still gets sent to Google.

There should be no interruption in email service.  Any incoming mail should get sent either to Google or Microsoft depending on when it hits the system.  You can send messages from Google up until 7PM and can begin sending messages from Microsoft at 7PM and after.

Configuring your PC

If you have run Outlook Assistant on the computer where you have Outlook installed, it should migrate your account automatically.  You can simply continue using it.  The Assistant should also bring over any personalized settings you made in Outlook.

Our migration consultant recommends leaving Outlook turned on tonight during the migration. However, if you don't have it on for some reason, it's not going to be a problem.  You just may have to wait a few minutes as Outlook Assistant makes the adjustment the next time you open Outlook.

The firm would like everyone to use the Outlook client for email.  Outlook already installed on your computer when you downloaded Office 365.  If you have not installed Office 365, you really need to do that TODAY.  If you have not yet used Outlook, I recommend waiting until tomorrow to configure it.  You can simply start it as a new account using Microsoft Exchange.

If Outlook Assistant does not work, or you have no existing account, and you need to configure Outlook yourself.  It should be very simple.  Simply create a new user in Outlook.  You are connecting to Microsoft Exchange Online.  Your login name is your email address.  Your password is your Office 365 password.

Configuring Mobile Devices

If you have an Android or Apple phone or tablet, the firm recommends you use the Microsoft Outlook App for your mail going forward.  To set that up, simply enter your email address and Office 365 password when prompted.

If you have a Gmail app that you are no longer using, or any other mail program on your device, you may want to delete it to avoid confusion.

Checking Mail Online

If you like to check mail online, you can always do so through your Office 365 account.  You can also go directly to http://outlook.office365.com and sign in there.

Other Configurations

In addition to email, your labels should come over as folders and keep everything filed as you had it before.  Your contacts will also come over, though they may not show up in autocomplete.  Your calendars will also migrate.

There are a few things that may not come over correctly and that you may need to set up again.  While calendars will come over, any calendar sharing you had set up will not.  You will need to share your calendars again with anyone you want to have access.  Also, if you crated and filters to handle the automatic disposition of emails coming into your mailbox, you may need to recreate those again.  If you used any third party tools to share folders or perform other functions, they may no longer be available at all.

If you had links to Google Drive documents, either in emails or calendar items, they will only work until Google Drive goes down in late September.

Your Old Google Account

Your account at Google will remain up and running for a few weeks.  The purpose of this is to give you time to make sure everything migrated correctly, and that you have cleared off everything from the old account before it goes dark.

Your old email will continue to be there, but you should not use it after 7PM tonight.  If you send an email or make any changes to that system after the migration is complete, you will lose all those emails or settings changes.  You must start using Microsoft's mail at 7PM tonight and thereafter.

Changing Your Outlook

We are still on schedule to move to a new email service over Labor Day Weekend.  We will be bidding goodbye to Google's G Suite and moving to Microsoft's Exchange Online.

For the past few weeks, we have been  migrating your mail, contacts, and calendars to the new system.  This process is still ongoing.

Outlook Users

If you already use Microsoft Outlook for your work email, you are currently connecting to Google Mail to receive and send messages.  We will need to point Outlook to Microsoft's system at the appropriate time.  To facilitate this, we have a program called Outlook Assistant.  You can download and install this program now, and it will point your Outlook program to the new system at the appropriate time.

This week, you will receive an email with a link to download Outlook Assistant.  When you do so, you may be asked to create a password.

IMPORTANT: This will change your password for the Office 365 Portal.  If you already know your Office 365 password and want to keep it, simply enter that password.  If you don't know your password or want to change it, this will give you the opportunity to reset it.  This password must have at least 8 characters, both upper and lower case letters, and numbers.  Please remember what your password is.  If we have to change it before the migration is complete, your Outlook conversion will not work properly.

Once you enter a password, simply download and run the executable.  Once this is installed, you will not see any changes.  The program will wait until we tell it to make the switch to Exchange, then it will simply point your program to the new mailbox at the appropriate time.

If you do not install Outlook Assistant, you will no longer receive new emails once we cut over to the new system.

Non-Outlook Users

If you have not yet started using Outlook, and still rely on a web browser to get your mail, you will need to start going to a new web site for your mail.  Rather than going to gmail.com, your mail will start coming to outlook.office365.com.

This will be a new interface that looks a little different, but it will continue to provide browser based access to send and receive mail.

If you go to that web site now, you can see that most of your mail is already there.  Do not be concerned if some mail is missing.  We are still migrating mail, and your mailbox may not be complete.

IMPORTANT: Do not start sending mail from the Office 365 portal before the migration is complete, and do not make any changes to the mail in the new portal.  If you do, you will mess up the migration.  Do not delete messages.  Do not move them into folders. Do not try to send messages from there.  Do not make any changes at all.  You cannot start using the portal until the migration is complete.

If you want to begin using Outlook for your mail, but have not done so already, at this point I would recommend waiting until we make the final conversion.  At that point, you can simply run your initial setup of Outlook and begin using it with Microsoft Exchange Online.

Everyone

There will be some work to do once the migration is complete.  We are migrating your mail, contacts, and calendar.  You may lose some settings.  If you have filters set up to deal with messages, you will need to recreate those in Exchange.  If you have shared calendars with others, you will need to re-share them.  If you are using third party tools like Cloud HQ to share mail folders, those tools will no longer work.

Your labels/folders will move over, but going forward, you can only assign a message to one folder. If you have messages with more than one label during migration, they will be duplicated with a copy in each folder.

The exact timing of the final conversion to the new system is dependent on when the migration is complete.  Once we are confident of when that will happen, we will let everyone know the exact date and time of the cut-over.

Once cut-over is complete, there may be a short time when you still have access to your Gmail account, even though it will no longer be receiving any new messages.  This will give you a chance to confirm for yourself that everything moved properly.  However, once the migration is complete, you should not attempt to send messages from Gmail, nor make any other changes in the old system.

We plan to bring over the contents of your Google Drive to your personal Box folder.  Anything else you may use in Google that is tied to your work account (e.g. photos, chats, blogs, sites, etc.) will be gone once we shut down our Google account.

Box Moves

The firm still plans to move to Box.com in September, which is now rapidly approaching.

Network File Servers Will Disappear

When we move to Box, all of the files stored on local servers will become unavailable to users. Everything stored on all the network drives (e.g. H: I: M: Q: S: U: and probably any other letter used on your computer that goes past E:) are going away. Also going away is Google Drive.

The Firm Will Migrate Only Certain Folders

We are taking the opportunity of this move to clean up our network drives.  Over the years we have allowed many random files and folders to accumulate.  Some your team may use actively every day.  Others, may contain important information stored away for years that is still needed.  Others, may have been abandoned and forgotten.  

The firm will migrate automatically all the information stored in MDIR under specific client and matter numbers.  These will move without the need for you to do anything.  

Similarly, your personal drive (H: or I: depending on your office) should move automatically. Information stored in your personal drive will go into a personal drive on Box.  Anything stored in your Google Drive will also migrate to  Box.

Don't Be Left Behind

As for everything else, this is where we need your help.  If there is other information stored on the network that you wish to retain, you need to let us know where it is and what it is.  For example, in the Philadelphia MDIR, there are 127 files that are names, not numbers.  There are also a few number files that are not client numbers.   There are also nearly 3000 files in the root of the MDIR folder, most of which look like files someone tried to file in a subfolder but misnamed the file.  Unless someone tells us otherwise, we plan to leave these behind.

Similarly, in the root of the M: drive in Philadelphia, there are lots of random files and folders.  Some of these have an administrative purpose.  Many do not.  There are many random folders in PublicWP that we have allowed to grow without explanation as well.  If there is something in those folders that you want brought over to Box, make sure we know about it.  Otherwise it may be left behind.

In Mt. Laurel over the years, it became a common practice to share H: drive with other people.  Many groups commonly use the H: drive folder of former employees as shared areas.  Unless we know about that, those files will not make the trip to Box.

Across all offices, over the years we have set up special accommodations which may included network drives using another letter, or special folders we created for you somewhere.  Again, if there is something you use, make sure we know about it.

To be clear, if you have files ANYWHERE on the system that is not in a client/matter folder, or in your personal folder, it is likely not coming with us.  If you still need that information, please let us know about it.

How to Make Sure Your Important Data Migrates

If you have files and folders that need to migrate, I recommend sending an email to Cain Elliot, Mary McSorley, and Michael Troy. Make sure to copy all of us so that nothing slips through the cracks.

Cleaning out Mailboxes, Part 2

Based on user feedback from my first post on cleaning out mailboxes, I would like to pass along a few other ideas for clearing out space on your computer.

Removing Labels

When we moved to Microsoft's Exchange Online, any email that has two or more labels will be duplicated in the new mailbox so that one copy can go in each folder.  So, while removing multiple labels from your Gmail mailbox will not shrink its size now, doing so will prevent your new maillbox from greatly increasing in size.

One label that has become meaningless now is GW Archive.  This was a label that was set when we moved email from the old GroupWise system into Gmail years ago.  The GW Archive label indicated email messages that had been archived in GroupWise.  Most of those messages also had other labels associated with them to indicate where they should be filed.

To remove the GW Archive label from any email, open the GW Archive folder in your mailbox, use the check box to select all, then click on the link to select all conversations with that label.  Once selected,  you can click on the label icon and remove the check mark next to GW Archive.  This will strip the GW Archive label from all those emails, while leaving the messages themselves intact.  Of course, if you no longer want any of those very old messages, you could also opt to delete them, knowing that doing so will delete them from all labels under which they may be stored.

If you have other labels that you don't think you need any longer, you can use this same method to open other labels and strip that particular label from all emails.

Deleting Dictation

Many attorneys have been using outsourced dictation for many years.  Some of you have been saving all of the sent emails that you sent to the transcription companies, along with those large audio recording attachments.  This can be a great place to recover a large amount of mailbox space.

To find these, run the following search:

to:keystrokepro.com.

Once you find them, you can select all and delete.  If you are willing to delete the returned transcripts, you can search for from:keystrokepro.com.

Using the "to:" or "from:" ensures you only get messages to or from that address, not any email that references that name.

Of course, if you use a different transcription service, simply substitute keystrokepro.com with the other services name.

Conversation Mode

Be careful, if you have "conversation mode" turned on, these searches will show you all conversations where at least one email meets the search criteria.  If you delete all of these, it will delete the entire conversation.  That is probably ok, since it will simply be deleting forwarded recordings or transcripts.  Just be careful you know what you are deleting.

If you want to be sure you are deleting only the messages that fall into your search and not others in the same conversation,  you may want to turn off conversation mode temporarily.  To do that, click on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner of your inbox, and select "Settings".  In Settings, you should see a toggle switch  to turn off conversation mode.

Empty Trash

Of course, once you are done with your deletions, be sure to empty your trash.  Otherwise all your deleted mail will remain in trash for 30 days and will still need to be migrated.  Just be sure you want to delete what you are deleting.  Once you empty trash, you can no longer recover those messages.

Cleaning Out Your Mailbox

As we move our email system from Google to Microsoft, we bid adieu to the unlimited storage space that we have in Google.  Microsoft limits mailbox size to 50 GB.  While this is more than enough for most, it will be important once again to keep mailbox bloat under control

The firm also now recommends using MS Outlook on your computer, as opposed to using the simple online interface we had in Google.  Microsoft Exchange Online will also offer an online interface. However, some of the other systems the firm is adopting need to use the good old fashioned Outlook program on your computer.  Unlike more modern web based email, Outlook performance will be impacted by having particularly large mailboxes.  This is another reason to remove the bloat.

A third reason for cleanup is that our migration from Google to Microsoft will go much faster and more smoothly the smaller the mailboxes are than we need to move.  So if at all possible, please clean out your mailboxes.

Search Your Archives:

First, look for archived emails.  Many mail programs, particularly on your phones, have often archived mail that you thought you were deleting.  You may want to check and see if this is the case, by looking for archived mail in your mailbox.

To search only for archived email, run the following search in the Gmail search bar:

has:nouserlabels -in:Sent -in:Chat -in:Draft -in:Inbox

Be careful though, if you have "conversation view" turned on, you may still see some email that is not archived as Google will show you all conversations in which any one message within that conversation was archived.  Select the messages you want and delete them.

Search for Large Attachments

Most individual emails take up almost no space.  A plain text message is usually less than 5kb in size.  You could save millions of them and never fill your mailbox.  What takes up your space are large attachments and pictures.  Google allows for attachments of up to 25 MB in size.  A mere forty emails like this would use up 1 GB of storage space.  A single email with a 20 MB attachment takes up as much space as 10,000 short text emails of 2 KB each.

To search for these particularly large emails, I recommend doing a search by mail size.  For example, if I wanted to search for all of my emails larger than 20 MB, I would run the following search in the Gmail search bar:

larger:20m

I recommend searching for 20 MB and larger files.  If you don't find very many search for larger:15m, or larger10m, or even larger 5m to see all the larger files.  Delete those you do not need.

Search for older messages

Some of us have email messages going back decades.  Many of these may be for closed cases that we never want to review again, or maybe just old notes about going to lunch or taking a personal day back in 2003.  You can look for older messages by using the following search in Gmail:

Older_than:10y

That would show you all messages older than 10 years.  You could, of course change it to search for mail older than 5 years with: Older_than:5y.

You can also search by date.  For example, if your wanted to find anything sent or received before January 15, 2010, you would run the following search:

Before:2010/01/15

Specific Senders:

Perhaps you get mail from someone you are sure you never want to see again.  This is a great way to isolate all that junk mail from Amazon.com or linkedin.com

You can search for certain senders.  For example, if you wanted to search for every message you received from linkedin.com, you would search for:

from:linkedin.com

This will only show  you emails from that domain, not emails in which you happened to reference the domain in the text of your email.

Another good trick is to search for:

from:noreply

A great many junk mail senders use "noreply" in their from address.  This is a quick and easy way to find and delete them.

Combination Searches

You can run any of the above searches in combination with each other.  For example, if you want to see all emails larger than 10 MB and older than 3 years, you would search:

larger:10m AND older_than:3y

Deleting Mail:

Once you have your search results, you must select all the messages and then click on trash to send them to trash.  Your page shows you only a limited number at a time.  The default is 50 messages, while the maximum you can see on one page is 100 messages.

However, if you are really sure you want to delete all the messages you have found in your search, and don't want to look at the whole list, you can do the following:

Click on the box just above the list to select all the messages on that page.  When you do, another line will appear just above the first checked message.  It says: "All 100 conversations on this page are selected. Select all conversations that match this search." If you click on the underlined part, it will select all emails that match your search on subsequent pages without you having to scroll through each page.  Once you have selected the messages, simply click on the trash can icon to delete everything.

Remove Labels

Although multiple labels do not increase the space you use in Google, Microsoft does not allow you add more than one label to an email.  If you have assigned multiple labels to an email, our migration process will duplicate the email so that it can be stored in multiple folders.  This doubles the amount of space each email takes (or triples if you have three labels on one email).

If possible, you may want to consider removing multiple labels from emails.  You will not be able to use multiple labels going forward.  Removing them from existing emails will help reduce your footprint.

Empty Your Trash and Spam:

Now I know this advice goes directly against what I have been telling everyone for years.  When you delete something, it sits in your trash for 30 days, then disappears forever.  I have long strongly recommend you allow everything to sit in trash for 30 days before it goes away.  Once it is gone from trash, you cannot recover it.

However, in this case, I must ask that you empty your trash.  If not, the migration tool will pull over all the messages you put in trash, thus defeating the purpose of cleaning up you mailbox.  Just please, please, PLEASE, make sure you really want all those messages to disappear forever before emptying trash.

While you are at it, if your mailbox is like mine and has thousands of messages in your spam folder, you may want to empty that as well.  Google deletes spam after 30 days, but there may be thousands of spam messages in there every little bit helps in reducing the load for migration.

Thinking Inside the Box

Mr. McKenna sent around an email a few weeks ago announcing the firm's decision to move all files from local server to Box.com, an online file storage system.

Our Business Intelligence Officer, Cain Elliot is working with the IT Department to get the data moved to Box over the next few weeks.  Then the transition is complete, there will no longer be an M: drive, or H: drive, or any other network drives.  You will access and save all of your files through Box.com.

As part of this move, we are taking the opportunity to reorganize and bring some order to the way we store matter files.  We want to have all files stored in a unified way.  Part of this is to make the files easier to access with some of the other systems we are preparing to implement.  Part of it is also to make it easier for attorneys in all offices to find files no matter which office is storing them.

For some offices, the unified system will be more of a change than for others.  Each office will still have its own matter directory, though it will now be much easier to share those with attorneys in other offices.  Within the matter directory, each case will be saved under a folder using the client number.  Inside that folder will be a folder with each matter number.  Inside there, will be a specific set of subfolders in which you can store any matter related documents.

We also plan to create a set of personal folders, based on your current Personal folder (H: drive in some offices, I: drive in others).  These are your personal files not shared with others.

Because client and matter folders will be limited to those specific numbered folders for active files, we will also create a shared area where you can set up folders you want to share with others.  There, you will be able to create work groups or other shared space for collaboration.

The switch to Box should bring many benefits.  As a cloud storage point, you will have easy access to your documents outside the office.  It will also make collaboration between attorneys in different offices much easier.  Searching for documents will also become much faster and easier.  We will even be able to set up shared work spaces for people outside the office, making collaboration with co-counsel or clients easier as well.  Box also allows you to add notes to documents.  You can also save versions of documents, allowing you to go back to an earlier version if needed.

One of the biggest selling points of Box though, is its ability to integrate with a wide range of other systems.  As we get ready to deploy a new email systems, time and billing system, and a case management system, we wanted a service that would integrate with everything.  Box seems to fit that bill very well.  It also integrates very well with Microsoft office, making it very easy to open and save your documents without jumping through hoops.  There is a Box App to give you easy access to your files from your iPad or phone.

As we attempt to migrate file data from nine separate servers into Box, we are moving a massive amount of data.  If you still have files stored on the servers that you no longer need, either in your personal drive or on a shared drive, now would be an ideal time to delete them.  We are also going to attempt to move the contents of your Google Drive to Box  Trashing any unneeded files in Google Drive will also make our migration a little less burdensome.

We plan to go live with Box some time around Labor Day, though we will likely spread out the go-live so that we can get one office at a time up and running.  Stay tuned for specific dates for your office.

Security Updates

Security updates can be annoying and frustrating.  We often get update requests at inconvenient times and don't want to take the time to install them.  That said, more and more, having the most recent security update installed is becoming more and more critical, to the point that it is part of our ethical obligation to protect client data.

Years ago, many updates were less important, making minor bug fixes or adding things that did not affect most of us.  Today, hackers are looking to exploit recently discovered security bugs so that they can attack the computers of people who are too slow to install security patches.  As a result, a device that is not completely up to date becomes a prime target for hackers in a way that was not true even a few years ago.

iPad / iPhone Updates

Last week, Apple release iOS 10.3.3 which patches a security hole that could allow a hacker access to your iPad or iPhone via a bug in the WiFi feature.  To make sure your iPad or iPhone is up to date, just go into settings, then General, then Software Update.  There, you should see that you are either up to date, or have an update pending.

Android Updates

If you have an Android device, you can go to Settings then System Updates.  Our firm phones, using Samsung Galaxy, should be up to date automatically. If you have been ignoring pop-ups telling you to update, you should go ahead and update.

Because Android is on a wide variety of hardware, you may have a personal device that forces you to update manually, or may not even make available the most recent security updates at all.  This is one reason the firm has decided to standardize on iOS devices, despite many other advantages that Android has over iOS.

As we tighten our security requirements, you may want to consider checking with the IT department before buying a new device, especially some of the cheaper Android devices out there.  The firm may soon cut off access to some older or cheaper devices that do not meet security standards for protecting client data confidentiality.

Windows

The firm has standardized on Windows 7 and Windows 10.  We have retired all of the Windows XP and earlier computers that had been in use.  As we make the move to the cloud, some of our vendors require us to have all computers at Windows 7 or higher.  All new computers will come with Windows 10, since Windows 7 is reaching end of life in a few more years.

Whichever version you have, you should get pop-ups from time to time asking you to install updates. Windows 10 is a little more persistent and annoying about such requests.  But in either case, you should install any critical or important updates which Microsoft has released.  Some of these happen automatically.  Some simply remind you to update yourself.  Many years ago, we did not always recommend installing the latest updates out of a fear that Microsoft sometimes introduced bugs with its updates.  Today that is not the case.  The risk of security holes far outweighs any risk of a buggy update.

On the right hand side of the toolbar, you should seen an icon for security updates.  If you hover your cursor over it, you can see if you have anything pending.  Clicking on it will allow you to update. Critical updates are usually pushed out and installed without asking.  If you have ever gone to shut down your computer and Windows says it is installing updates, you know what I mean.

MacOS

A few of our users have begun trying MacOS devices within the firm.  Like anything else, these also need regular updates.

To make sure your Mac is up to date, open the App Store and click on “Updates” (at the top right of the menu icons).   You should see a list of any available updates not yet installed.  You can click on the option to update any one of them, or simply "update all" to install everything.

Leaving Gmail for Exchange Online

The firm has decided to move the margolisedelstein.com mail domain from G Suite (Google) to Microsoft Office 365 Exchange Online.  We will make this move quickly and expect the change to happen in the next few months.

Why this is happening

As the firm replaces a wide range of systems, several of our vendors say that their systems integrate better with Microsoft's solution rather than Google's.  It will also mean users will have a single account for both email and MS Office rather than the separate accounts that exist now.

The Process

We plan to use a migration specialist called Skykick.  The migration company will access your email and migrate all of your mail contacts, and calendar information into Exchange Online.   This process will take several weeks.  At some point around Labor Day, we plan to shut down Google, do a final sync, and begin using Office 365.  We will provide more detailed information on the cut-over as we get closer to the end of the process.

How to prepare

Google throttles the amount of data we can download from each mailbox every day.  Therefore, moving the data will take several weeks.  If you have a large amount of data in your mailbox, now would be an ideal time to begin deleting items you no longer need and which will only extend our migration process.

The new system has an email storage limit of 50 Gb, unlike Gmail's unlimited storage.  At present, just about everyone is well below that limit, which is just for email.  It does not count document storage you may be using in Google Drive.  But if you are getting close to that limit, you may want to be diligent about deleting messages that unnecessarily fill your account.

Beyond mail, you may be using your Google Account for other purposes.  You may have documents saved in Google Drive.  We expect to be able to migrate everything in your Google Drive to Box.  This is a good time for house cleaning though.  If you have files you no longer need in Google Drive, please delete them now.

If you have created documents or spreadsheets in Google Drive that are in Google format, we will convert them to Microsoft format.  In other words, a Google Doc will convert to a MS Word Doc, and a Google Sheet will convert to MS Excel.

If you have been using Google Hangouts for instant messaging and chat, those logs will not come over.  If you need to save any of that for some reason, you may want to cut and paste the information into a document.  Going forward, we recommend using Microsoft Teams for chat and IM.

If you have pictures saved in Google Photos in a work account, these also will be left behind.  If you have photos needed for work, please save copies into the appropriate matter directory.  If you have personal photos, you may want to download them to a personal computer before they disappear forever.

If you are using any other Google applications and are worried about losing information, please contact me to discuss further.  We will do everything in our power to protect whatever data you deem important.

We will also need to find new homes for the Research Home Page, and (hopefully) this blog.  We are working on alternative solutions and will announce them as soon as they are ready.

Change Now

Of course, switching to a new mail system means that the familiar Gmail web page will be going away, as will the Gmail app that you use on phones or tablets.  We will replace these with Microsoft Outlook.  If you have already installed Office 365 on your computer, you already have Outlook installed.  To become more familiar with it, we would like you to begin using it now.  You can connect Outlook to your existing Gmail account using the G Suite Sync tool.  If you click on the link, you can download and run the tool on your computer.  This will configure Outlook to access your Google account.

If you begin using Outlook now, you have time to familiarize yourself with the Interface, but can still also use a browser to access the old familiar way while you are learning Outlook.  Once we make the move to Exchange, the Gmail interface will go away and we will point your Outlook software to the new Exchange back end.  If you are familiar with Outlook by then, you will be ahead of the game and not really see any changes in the way you work with your mail.  You will also have the option to access your mail online through outlook.com.

Setting up an iPad for Work

Using a Margolis Edelstein iPad

We are now in the process of deploying iPads to attorneys who have requested them throughout the firm.  We expect to have this done by the end of July.  Because iPads are not really designed for enterprise control, Apple's security measures require the user to set up his or her own device, which requires not only passwords, but fingerprints and answers to personal security questions.

One thing we do ask is that you use your margolisedelstein.com email address for your Apple ID.  If you already have an apple ID using that address, you may use that.  If you have an Apple ID using a different email address, you need to set up a new one.   Without this, the firm could be locked out of the device forever.

It is also important to secure your device with a six digit code to protect client confidentiality.  Do not bypass this step.  Make sure you remember your code.  We cannot bypass it.

Keep in mind that the Firm’s Computer and Internet Use Policy applies to these new tablets. The firm’s purpose in providing them is to help you serve our clients and complete other work required tasks.  We expect you to use them primarily for work purposes.

Setup

When you first turn on your new iPad, you will be asked to set it up. We are more than happy to assist if you run into any problems or have questions.  The following are instructions to guide you through the setup:

1. Select Language and Country (English, then United States)
2. Connect to you office WiFi 
3. Recommend turn on Location Services
4. Touch ID, setup with at least one fingerprint.
5. Set up a pass code.
6. Apps & Data, Setup as a new iPad unless the you already have an iCloud account using your work email.  You should use your work email address for this account.  
7. Skip Apple Pay
8. Skip iCloud keychain
9. I recommend enabling Siri, unless you really don’t want to use it.
10. Analytics: don’t share

Security:

All tablets should always be secured by a password and/or a fingerprint. We are obligated to make every effort to protect the confidentiality of client data.

Since the tablets contain firm data and access to firm networks, you should not allow others to use your tablet.

Your iPad should be set up using your Margolis Edelstein email address.

Maintain an auto-lock on your device.  If it does not lock when left alone, that defeats the purpose of password protection.

Protecting the Device:

The number one way iPads break is by dropping them.  To minimize damage we would like all user to use a tablet cover. These will be provided very soon.

Installing Apps (you should use the following):

Email: Use the Gmail or Inbox App from Google (not the native iPad mail program).

Calendar: Use Google Calendar (not the native iPad calendar).

Document creation: Download Office 365 (MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) apps from the App Store.  If you work with Google Drive, you may also want Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides.

File Storage: Your iPad comes with a limited amount of storage space. The iCloud backup comes with even less.  Use OneDrive (Microsoft) (1 TB come with Office 365 account) or Google Drive (unlimited storage)

Time Entry: For time entry, you should download the iTimeKeep App.  Webview will not run on the iPad.

VPN: For VPN access to the firm’s network download Forticlient.  To configure Forticlient to access our VPN, find the host for your office on this list.  Port should be 443 and the username and password are the same as what you use in the office.  I also recommend turning on the “hide invalid certificate warning.”

File Server: To access documents on the file server (e.g. MDIR or your H: drive) you will need to set up a program to get there.  Use “Documents 6” by Readdle.  This can be a little tricky to set up.  If you would like us to set it up for you, contact the Help Desk.  If you feel comfortable with setup, here is how it works:

Once you have installed and opened the Documents App, you should see an "In the cloud" section on the left.  Press the "+add" to add a server.  Select "Windows SMB"  Title can be anything, e.g. "Phila M Drive" might be a good choice.  The URL is the connection you want to make: smb://10.0.0.250/data/mdrive (or whatever path you wish to map).  Login again is whatever name and password you normally uses to access the server.  If you are setting up outside the office, be sure you are connected to VPN first.

PDF: Adobe Reader is good for viewing PDF documents.  If you want the ability to mark up a PDF, try Foxit PDF.

Notes: OneNote is integrated with your Office 365 account.  Google Keep will work with Google Drive.  Use either of these.

Research: LexisAdvance App for legal research.

Connecting with Clients:   We want you to use your device to connect with your colleagues and the world, especially in growing your social footprint on LinkedIn or your favorite network. You’re the face of ME, and we want you to reach as many existing and potential clients as possible with your ideas, thoughts and work.

We hope these suggestions will get you started in making the most of your new iPad.  We view this project as a collaborative one. If you have suggestions for other Apps that your fellow attorneys may find useful, please let us know.

OneDrive for MS Office

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that it was possible to open and save documents from MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) directly to Google Drive.  This allows you to access those documents from anywhere simply by being logged in to your Google account.

You can also do the same thing using Microsoft's OneDrive.  If you have not used it before, OneDrive is very similar to Google Drive.  It allows you to save documents in the cloud, accessible from anywhere you have Internet access as long as you log into your Office 365 account.  You can even edit the documents using Microsoft's online version of Office if you don't have the full version of Office installed on the device you are using.  Keep in mind though that the online versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint do not offer all of the advanced features available to you on your downloaded version of MS Office.

When you open or save a document in Word, you should see a OneDrive option.  If you select that, you may be asked to log into your OneDrive Account.  Your account name is your email address.  We sent you an Office 365 password in recent months, though you may have changed it.  If you don't know your password, the Help Desk can reset it for you.

Whether you use Google Drive, OneDrive, or neither is strictly up to you.  Personally, I like Google Drive better since I am already signed into that one always for may email.  If you use MS Word on an iPad, there is no way to connect from there to Google Drive, though you can access OneDrive.

Google also puts no limit on storage space, although OneDrive's 1 TB limit is pretty generous.  Both use encryption to protect your documents when uploading or downloading, and both remain password protected from the view of others unless you share a file or folder with others.

While these online storage options may be convenient if you work outside the office, keep in mind that copies of all client related documents must also be saved to the Matter Directory (M Drive) pursuant to firm policy.

Trashing your Gmail Messages

Gmail offers three ways to rid yourself of email you no longer want to keep around.  You can archive it, mark it as spam, or put it in the trash.  If you archive it, the message will remain in your mailbox forever, just not in the inbox or any of your other folders.  You can find it by looking in "all mail" or by searching for the message.

If you mark an item as spam, it goes into your spam folder.  This has the added benefit of alerting Google that you consider similar messages to be spam.  If you are getting ads that you don 't want to see in your inbox, it is best to mark them as spam rather than simply trash them.  That way, you will not be bothered with as much junk mail in your inbox going forward.

If you have a message that you no longer want or need for any reason, you can delete it by moving it to trash.  When a message goes into your trash, it will eventually be removed from your mailbox entirely.  If you search for an email that is in trash, you must specify that you want Google to search trash.  By default, email searches exclude anything in the spam or trash folders.

The benefit of the spam or trash folders is that you have time to realize that you really need something you had removed.  You can go into your trash folder and move any item back to the inbox. Similarly, you can go into your spam folder and mark an item as "not spam" thus moving it back to the inbox.

In truth, there is no real need to delete any messages anymore.  The firm pays for unlimited storage, meaning you can save as much as you like.  Saving extra email also has no impact on performance in Gmail.

Even so, there are some emails you are certain you never want to see again.  It is fine to put those in the trash.  Some people like to be tidy and regularly empty their trash as soon as they put messages in it.  I strongly recommend against this practice.  Google will automatically delete anything in trash or spam folders after 30 days.  That gives you time to realize you need something, but also ensures that the trash will not pile up in the account forever.  Once you remove an item from trash, it is virtually impossible to restore to your inbox.  It is much better to give yourself that 30 day window to recover anything, before it is gone forever.

Google Drive for MS Office

Hopefully everyone is becoming more familiar with MS Office.  The firm's plan to transition from Word Perfect to Word by the end of the summer remains on track.

Today, I wanted to mention a helpful add-on form MS Office from Google Drive.

Last year, the firm switched to unlimited storage on Google Drive.  This makes it an extremely convenient place to store working documents.  From Google Drive, you can access your documents from anywhere you have Internet access, without the need for VPN.  It also makes it much easier to share documents with others.

If you install the Google Drive for MS Office add-on, you can save documents created in MS Word directly to your Google Drive.  You can also open previously saved documents directly from Google Drive.  The Add-on also works with Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentation. This can be a great time saver for MS Office documents you need to access from multiple locations.

If you would like to download and install Google Drive for MS Office, you can get it here:

https://tools.google.com/dlpage/driveforoffice

Once installed, it shows up as an option on your ribbon.

Keep in mind, of course, that copies of all client related documents should still be stored in the Matter Directory (i.e. MDIR or M: Drive).  If you have working documents related to clients on your Google Drive, just be sure to save a copy to the Matter Directory.

Research Home Page

For many years, the firm maintained an internal Research Home Page on a server based in Philadelphia.  This is the page we typcially set as the home page to open whenever you open Internet Explorer.  It contained all the research links and links to key firm documents that many of you use every day.

Over a year ago, we retired that old home page, replacing it with a new one located on Google Sites. Among several reasons for the change was to allow you access to the site while outside the office and without using VPN.  You need only login with your Gmail password to access it.

I announced the change in this blog post from March 2016.

For about a year, we maintained both the old and new page as we worked out the kinks.  However, about three months ago, we officially retired the old page and simply forwarded you to the new one.

I announced this change in this blog post from Februrary 2017.

Recently, the aged server that has been hosting the old page began to fail.  We had to take it out of commission.  This has created some confusion.  If you still had a link to the old page and were being forwarded to the new one, the forwarding would no longer work.  Instead, you now simply get a "page not found" error.

If you are trying to get the old page, through an address such as:

10.0.0.251/research/home.html

or

192.6.120.251/research/home.html

you will get an error message.  This is never going to be fixed and is not coming back.  Instead, you should update your link or home page setting to take you directly to the new site:

The new site is located at:

https://sites.google.com/a/margolisedelstein.com/home

You can also access it from http://research.margolisedelstein.com

If you need any assistance updating these links the help desk can assist.

Ransomware

Over the weekend you may have seen various news reports of a worldwide ransomware attack hitting thousands of networks.

Ransomware is a form of malware (bad software designed from some  harmful or illegal purpose).  It encrypts all of the files on your computer then notifies you that if you want the description key, you must send the author money in exchange for the key.  Without that key, you will never be able to open any of the encrypted files again.

Most ransomware needs to be invited onto your computer.  Hackers do this by tricking you into clicking on a link and agreeing to install it on your computer.  This one was a little more dangerous since once it gets into a local network it can attack any computer that has not been updated with the most current Windows security updates.

All firm computers are configured to update themselves automatically.  This is why you occasionally get notices from your computer that it will need to restart to install updates.  It is very important that you don't disable this function, even if it is occasionally annoying.

If, at home, you are using an older XP computer, or a computer that does not have updates turned on, you are playing with fire.  You are vulnerable not only to this but other attacks as well.  It's a bit like leaving your front door unlocked when you leave for work each day.  Nothing may happen, but do you really want to take that chance?

The firm's primary defense against ransomware is a good backup system.  If our network gets hit with ransomware, we would have to delete all the current file and restore from backup.  Longer term, we hope to put in place a document management system that will protect our files from such attacks, even if some computers on the network become compromised.

To read more about the latest attack, check out these articles from the BBC, NPR, and the Verge.

MS Office

As of today, everyone in the firm should have an Office 365 Account.  You should have received an email from Office 365 allowing you to download a setup program, which will install MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and a few other Office programs on your computer.

Hopefully by this time, it is not a surprise to anyone that we are doing away with WordPerfect and moving to MS Word as the firm's supported word processor.  I announced this change in a Blog post last August.  In March, I published this post and this one announcing the move to Office 365, which includes the most current version of MS Word (2016).

If you did not get an email allowing you to install Office 365, or lost the one we sent you, please email me or the help desk and we will send you another one.

Cain Elliot will be offering training classes beginning soon.  You should have MS Office on your computer before you take that class.  I strongly recommend playing around with the program ahead of time so that if something you do is a problem, you can ask about it during the class.

There are also online training videos available here: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics/office2016

I am addressing this issue again, because I want to make very clear to everyone that I will not be making an Obama-like promise that if you like your word processor you can keep your word processor.  You cannot.   The firm is moving to MS Word and you need to make sure you are up to speed on its use.

We expect to be using MS Word exclusively for all new documents by the end of this summer.  That deadline will come sooner than you think.  Please act now.

Thanks.

Security Issue

This afternoon, many in the firm received an email from someone we knew inviting you to view a shared Google Document.

This was, in fact, a sophisticated phishing attack that hit Google users worldwide.  It took advantage of a security oversight in Google that allowed third parties to name a customized Google App that they created with a name that made it appear to be part of Google Docs.  If you want to read more, check out this article.

If you clicked on the link to go to the document, you were sent to what looked like a login screen which then asked to go give rights to your contacts and your Gmail account.  If you gave the app those rights, it would then send out a share to all of your contacts, inviting them to view a Google Doc that you were supposedly sharing with them.

The good news is that the App was pretty harmless.  It did not do anything beyond sending out a share notice to your contacts.  Google has also now shut down the app in question and removed any rights that you may have inadvertently given to your account.

Some people have requested password changes or that we scan your computer for malware as a result of this attack.  We are happy to change your password if you like, but there is no evidence that this attack ever got access to any passwords, nor did it ever access your computer.

Going forward, if you ever see anything asking for rights to your account, that should be a big red flag that something is wrong.  There are occasional apps that might require such rights.  For example, if you connected MS Outlook to your Gmail, it would request such rights. But if you ever have any questions about rights being given, be sure to contact the Help Desk so we can take a closer look.

Verizon Discount

Recently, the firm negotiated a new contract with Verizon Wireless.  As part of that negotiation, we got Verizon to increase the discount provided to attorneys and staff who own their own Verizon Wireless cell phones or other devices.

Under the current terms, you can get 15% off any Verizon plan that you are on, along with an additional 3% if you choose electronic billing, for a total of 18% off the retail price.

Verizon sent a flyer on the discount, which you can view here.

Also, if you sign up for this discount, you also get a 25% discount on any accessories you purchase through the Verizon store (e.g. cases, chargers, etc.).

If you are already a Verizon Customer or are considering becoming one, the few minutes it takes to sign up is well worth the discount.

Tablets and Firm Resources

The firm is re-thinking the way we do mobility.

At the Partner Retreat last week, I discussed how IT is taking a look at new document management, case management, and time and billing systems.  Critical to any of these new systems is the ability to do most, if not all of your work on just about any device.

Traditionally, the firm has focused on supporting Windows computers.  This was fine when Microsoft held a virtual monopoly on your devices.  Now that we do more of our work on cell phones and mobile devices, the firm needs to transition in order to accommodate a range of other devices.

To make all this work, most of our computing will be moving to the cloud.  The "cloud" is essentially an industry term to mean using a server outside of our own office on some remote location accessible over the Internet. Over the next few years, I hope that not only our data will be stored on the cloud, but most of our computing will be done there as well.

On our existing network, we have our PCs do most of the computing work.  We grab a document, then use software on the PC to work on it.  In a cloud computing environment, we can work on the document through a web browser or an app.  The work is being done on some large server far away. Your computer is simply showing you the changes you are making on that far away server.

The big benefit of this system is that you do not need a powerful computer to do much of anything.  All the work is being done outside of your device.  As a result, you can have a much smaller, lighter mobile device to do much of your work.

With that in mind, the firm is testing the use of iPads as a mobile device for attorneys.  Rather than carry around a laptop everywhere.  Attorneys could have a desktop PC in the office and use an iPad to work on files, enter time, and check email when out of the office.  Not only would this  be much smaller and lighter, it would allow attorneys to have Internet access anywhere, using a Verizon 4G connection, the same technology your cell phone uses.  No more hunting for open WiFi networks!

We are beginning a feasibility study to see if these tablets really can serve as a viable alternatives to a full blown laptop when outside the office.  Hopefully, I'll have more good news to report on this soon.

Google Chats, Video Calls, and Phone Calls

Lately, Google has been putting a great deal of work into Google Hangouts making it much more friendly for the enterprise.

Many of you likely have never used Hangouts.  It is a very simply way to make phone calls, video calls or hold quick text messaging chats on your computer.  When you have Gmail open, you see your labels (i.e. folders) on the left side of the screen. At the bottom of that list, you will see an option to start a chat with someone:

If you do not see this, you may need to go into your email settings, look for the "Chat" tab, and make sure your chat is turned on.

The first icon that looks like a person allows you to bring up a list of chat contacts.  You can use the + sign to select a new contact.  The talk bubble with quotation marks allows you to look at prior conversations.  The phone icon lets you call a phone number.

If you select a person to chat, or open an old chat, you get a chat box:

At the bottom, where it says "Send a message" you can simply type in a quick message to the person. It will then pop-up on their computer, assuming they have Gmail open.  This is a quick and easy way to chat back and forth with someone in the office, or anyone using Gmail.

You can also set up a group chat with multiple people.  This can be much easier for an interactive conversation with several people than sending an email and having everyone have to reply all to each message.  Gmail will also keep a record of the chat, unless you delete it, meaning you can refer back to conversations if needed.

You may notice there is also an icon of a video camera on the upper left corner.  You can use that to have a video conversation with someone. Since I have a "face for radio" I'm not a big fan of video chats.  However, one nice feature is that rather than showing your face, you can show the desktop of your computer.  This can be a convenient way to show people something you are working on, or how to do something.  Of course, using the feature requires that you have speakers and a microphone, as well as a camcorder if you want to have face to face video.  Our laptops all have these items, but some desktops do not.

You may also use the phone option built into Gmail.  You are able to call any US number.  However, the caller ID will show up as some different number.  This may cause some people not to pick up your call.

If you would like to use more advanced features, you may want to install the Google Hangouts extension on your browser.  You can do this by clicking on the three dots in the upper right hand corner of your Chrome Browser.  Select, SETTINGS then click on EXTENSIONS over on the left side of the screen.  Click on the link for "Get More Extensions" and do a search for "Google Hangouts".  From there, you can add Google Hangouts to your Browser.  This extension is not necessary, but gives you more control and features when chatting or making video and audio calls.

Auto-Replies in Gmail

The firm has a strict policy against attorneys using auto-replies for clients.  We never want to leave a client with the impression that we are not available.  Therefore you should never set up a general auto-reply to be out of the office.

If there is some reason an attorney is unable to access email from home, their phone, or just about any other Internet connected device  for an extended period of time, we can make arrangements to have a partner monitor your mail.

Gmail, however, has an option in its auto-reply to send auto-replies only to other people within the firm (i.e. to anyone who emails you from a margolisedelstein.com address).  This usage is permissible and can be an easy way to let people know you are out of the office when they are trying to contact you.

To set up an internal auto-reply, open your Gmail settings, toward the bottom is a box for "Vacation Responder."  Turn the Responder on.  Enter the dates you want it to be active and the message you want sent.

BE SURE to check the box that says "Only send a response to people in Margolis Edelstein."  We only want this message to respond to internal emails, not to clients.  Save changes and you are done.  Below is an example:

The auto-reply will automatically kick in on the "first day" you selected and will automatically turn off on the "last day" selected.  So once configured, there is no need to mess with it again until you want to change it to a new set of dates.

More on Moving to MS Office

My last post discussed the need to move away from WordPerfect and toward MS Office, specifically Office 365.

In my earlier post, I may have undersold management's interest in making this change happen soon. The firm has decided to make the move to MS Office over the next few months.

How to Install MS Office 365

We are planning to roll out MS Office 365 to everyone in the firm.  In the coming weeks, you should receive an email from Office 365.  If you would like to get Office 365 installed on your computer sooner rather than later, let me know.  We will be rolling out licenses to everyone over the next couple of weeks.  But if you are eager to get started, I'm happy to put you at the front of the line.

The email will contain a link and a password giving you access to your Office 365 account.  Once you login, you will see a link to download and install MS Office on your computer.

The download is a small executable program that gets saved on your computer, usually in the "Downloads" folder.  When you run it, the program will download and install the full version of MS Office on your computer.

IMPORTANT WARNING: If you install Office 365, it will automatically remove any older version of MS Office you already have installed.  This should not be a big deal on your work computer, unless you are using a version of Office that contains MS Access.  The new Version of Office only installs Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook.  You do not have to use all of these applications, but they will be on your computer in case you need them.

If you use MS Access for something, or have some special setup, you may want to check with the Help Desk before installing Office 365.

Office 365 allows you to load the program on up to five computers that you use.  If you have a computer at home, you are free to install and use Office.  Please remember, firm policy forbids hourly staff from doing any work at home.  We are happy to let you use MS Office at home for personal use, but do not do work from your home unless you are an attorney or exempt employee.

If you choose to install 365 on a personal computer, it overwrites a copy of MS Office that you already have installed.  Please be aware that if you leave the firm, we will revoke the 365 license, leaving you with nothing, or at least requiring to reinstall any personal version of Office that you may have.

You may also install the Apps available for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. on any Apple or Android device that you have.

Using MS Office 365

365 installs the most current version of Office (currently 2016).  If you use 2010, 2013, or 2016, you will probably notice little to no difference in how the new version works.  Most of the changes added since 2010 have been online features that we have not used much in the firm.

I will not attempt to offer a tutorial here.  Suffice it to say that the Help Desk is available for questions and I listed some online training available in my last blog post.

Going Forward

Getting MS Office installed on your computer is just the first step.  In May, Cain Elliot will be holding some training courses in MS Office to help with the transition.  We will have more details on those classes soon.

We are also evaluating several solutions that may be used perform a batch conversion of all WordPerfect documents on the file server to MS Word.  These conversions are still being tested. They may be implemented in the coming months if our tests prove successful.

Please start using MS Office as soon as possible.  It does not have to be tomorrow.  You may need to wait for training before you make full use of it.  You may also want to time your switch to when others on your team also make the change so that you are all working with  the same document formats. However, I don't recommend waiting until the last minute.  Over the next few months we will have time to get familiar with the software, if not already, and to develop templates, macros, and other items that may be of help to you in document generation.

By the end of this summer, we hope to have the entire firm fully converted to MS Office.  There may be a few exceptions for special needs uses of WordPerfect.  We are also still considering a firmer final schedule for the final switch.  But for most of you, plan to be using MS Office exclusively by the fall.