“As the popularity of cloud computing grows, public bodies (including schools, hospitals, municipalities and local police forces) are looking to take advantage of the cost-savings and functionality these services offer. But personal information in the custody and control of public bodies must be managed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FIPPA”). These provisions apply no matter where personal information is stored.”

The reports identifies areas for the due diligence review of the cloud provider and provides a link to a self assessment tool to evaluate the organization’s information protection readiness.

In another  recent Slaw post on Judges and Social Networking Sites a recent paper that looks at the issue in the United States is identified. The purpose of Michael Crowell’s  paper, Judicial Ethics and Social Networking Sites is to share some information addressing questions of judges’ personal use of social networks.

“…Judges are becoming familiar, too, with problems of jurors communicating with the outside world and conducting their own research via their Blackberries, smart phones and other devices.”

The encryption practice is consistent with the recommendation contained in the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada publication PIPEDA and Your Practice: A Privacy Handbook for Lawyers that was mentioned in an earlier post.

The same recommendation is made by the International Legal Technical Standards Organization proposed in its 2011 Guidelines for Legal Professionals under cloud transmission (p.18) that “whenever client data is transmitted across the Internet, it must be encrypted at every point.”

Canadian Judicial Council publications of relevance are:

• Blueprint for the Security of Judicial Information
• Ten Things Judges Can Do Now to Improve the Security of Judicial Data
• Wireless Network Security When On the Road

They recently released PIPEDA and Your Practice: A Privacy Handbook for Lawyers. Other reports of interest include:

• Electronic Disclosure of Personal Information in the Decisions of Administrative Tribunals – What should administrative tribunals consider when contemplating Internet publication of their decisions? February 26, 2010

• A Matter of Trust: Integrating Privacy and Public Safety in the 21^st Century November 16, 2010

“An important part of the mission of the National Center for State Courts is helping courts to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Since 1992, NCSC’s Knowledge and Information Services has produced a report on key trends from both inside and outside of the justice system that affect court operations.”

Improving Court Access: Technology

Future Trends in Public Access: Court Information, Privacy, and Technology
Hon. Paul H. Anderson

Emerging Technology Trends that Will Transform Courts
Chris Crawford

Catching the Wave: State Supreme Court Online Outreach Efforts
Rebecca Hulse

The Evolution of a High-Technology Courtroom
Hon. Herbert B. Dixon, Jr.

Improving Court Access: Social Media

Social Media: A New Way to Communicate that Can No Longer Be Ignored
David W. Slayton

Using Social Media to Support Self-Represented Litigants and Increase Access to Justice
Katherine Bladow and Joyce Raby

Who Are Those Guys? Courts Face a Rapidly Changing News Industry
John Kostouros

From Sketch Pads to Smart Phones: How Social Media Has Changed Coverage of the Judiciary
Laura Click

All-a-Twitter: Harnessing New Media for Judicial Outreach and Communication
Michael S. Sommermeyer