Vacation Vetting: The Law Firm’s Checklist for Revoking Temp and Dormant Access

After a long stretch of meetings and case deadlines, you may want to take a break and recharge. Are you confident that everyone who still has access to your systems should actually have it? Are you afraid that forgotten permissions could be used to breach your law firm while you are on vacation?

If you’re unsure which accounts are active or who still has login rights, you need to address those gaps before stepping out. Hackers look for the easiest entry points, and dormant or temporary access is one of their favorite avenues. Your risk is even higher if your firm relies on seasonal staff, rotating interns, contractors, or shared accounts. 

The good news is that our access revocation checklist can help you remove outdated permissions without disrupting operations. We ensure that only the right people retain access, so you can focus on your time off without worrying about your firm’s security.

How Your Law Firm Can Identify and Revoke Outdated Permissions

Review All Active User Accounts 

Audit every active user account on your systems,  including attorneys, paralegals, admin staff, interns, temps, and contractors. 

Look at when each account was opened and when it was last used. You may find accounts tied to people who left months ago or users whose access was never shut down after a project ended. These dormant profiles pose unnecessary risks by increasing access points to your network. Removing them reduces exposure and ensures that only authorized personnel can access sensitive case files.

Audit Role-Based Permissions Across Departments

Even when accounts are valid, the permissions attached to them may no longer match the user’s current role. For instance, an associate may transition to a different practice area, a paralegal may assume lighter duties, or an administrative employee may no longer require access to certain case management tools. 

As such, review the permissions assigned to each role within your firm and compare them with what your employees actually need. Look at access authorizations to case files, document management systems, billing tools, client communication platforms, internal databases, and shared folders. Also check legacy permissions that employees may have accumulated over the years due to changes in their roles.

As you review these permissions, remove any access that exceeds what is required for their day-to-day work. This minimizes the chances of exposing confidential documents and critical client data. 

Investigate Shared and Generic Logins 

Shared logins create blind spots since it can be nearly impossible to determine who accessed what and when. These accounts are often used for convenience, especially in busy law firms where multiple team members need access to case management systems. However, this convenience comes at a security cost, as it undermines accountability and makes it difficult to track suspicious activity.

To secure your firm, take the following steps:

• Review your systems to pinpoint any accounts that are shared between multiple employees, or generic logins used for administrative purposes.
• Replace shared credentials with unique accounts for every staff member. This ensures every action in your systems can be traced to a specific person.
• Create clear guidelines that prohibit the sharing of credentials. You can also educate your team on the risks of shared accounts and the importance of maintaining individual access.

These changes not only enhance tracking and accountability, but also make revoking access easy when someone leaves your law firm or changes roles.

Set Automated Alerts 

A one-time cleanup is helpful, but it only solves the problem temporarily. That’s why your firm requires a system that prevents outdated permissions from creeping back. You can make your work easier by using automated security tools such as:

• Identity and Access Management (IAM) platforms to help you manage user accounts and permissions. This ensures that only authorized staff can access sensitive data.
• Security information and event management (SIEM) tools to collect and analyze system logs to detect unusual access patterns.
• User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) systems to monitor user activity and detect deviations from normal behavior.

These tools send automated alerts, helping you identify potential risks before they escalate into serious breaches. They also reduce the burden on your internal team by catching small issues that are easy to overlook.

Don’t Let Outdated Access Undermine Your Firm’s Security

Outdated access may seem harmless, but it creates loopholes that cybercriminals are quick to exploit. The biggest challenge is that most law firms lack a structured system to track and manage user permissions across their networks. This means they may not be able to quickly identify dormant accounts or temporary logins that are no longer in use. 

In fact, a 2024 Identity- Security Report from ConductorOne found that over 25% of respondents say they are not currently measuring identity risk at all. Another survey by ABA shows that 19% of respondents were unsure if their firm had ever experienced a security breach, which could indicate low visibility into login/account activity or weak access audits.

At Digital Crisis, we help law firms close these security gaps. Our team will:

• Conduct an audit of all user accounts, including contractor and shared logins.
• Ensure all permissions align with current roles.
• Use automated security tools to flag inactive accounts and unusual login activity.
• Schedule regular access reviews to prevent outdated access from accumulating.
• Revoke unused or risky accounts safely without disrupting your operations.
• Train staff on access management and cybersecurity best practices.

So what are you waiting for? Contact our team today to schedule your initial consultation with our security experts.