Houston firms are magnets for cybercrime: business email compromise targeting trust accounts, ransomware on case files, and vendor spoofing in real estate or PI matters. Managed IT done right locks down your environment, proves diligence to clients, and buys you sleep.
Why Houston firms are prime targets
- High-value data + wire flows. Real estate, settlements, and escrow activity make BEC lucrative for attackers. The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report shows record losses and highlights BEC’s ongoing impact. Federal Bureau of Investigation+1
- Ransomware pressure. Encrypted file shares + data theft = double extortion risk.
- Third-party exposure. Adversaries hijack vendor email threads to redirect funds.
- Local resilience needs. Gulf storms make tested disaster recovery (DR) non-negotiable.
Our key takeaways: Focus first on email identity controls, endpoint detection/response, and recovery you’ve actually tested.
Your ethical & legal obligations in Texas
- Confidentiality. Texas Disciplinary Rule 1.05 demands safeguarding “confidential information,” not just privileged communications.
- Tech competence. Texas adopted a duty of technological competence. Outsourcing to qualified providers is recommended for small firms.
- Secure communications. ABA Formal Opinion 477R: use enhanced security (e.g., encryption) when sensitivity or risk warrants it.
- Breach notification. Texas requires notice to affected residents and the Attorney General within 30 days if ≥250 Texans are impacted; the AG also posts notices publicly.
- Client scrutiny. Half of larger firms report clients requesting security documentation and audits. Expect vendor due diligence.
Our key takeaways: Document your safeguards, adopt encryption policies, and know your 30-day Texas breach clock.
What managed IT should include
Foundations (Day-1 controls)
- Identity: SSO + MFA everywhere, conditional access, role-based access.
- Device security: Next-gen EDR with 24×7 MDR/SOC, disk encryption, device lockdown/MDM.
- Email & collaboration: Advanced phishing defense, DMARC/DKIM/SPF, safe links/attachments, external banner.
- Data protection: Immutable/offline backups, least-privilege file permissions, DLP basics.
- Hygiene: Automated patching SLAs, vulnerability scanning, admin rights control.
Advanced protections (30–60 days)
- SIEM with log retention, insider-risk analytics, geo-impossible logins.
- Zero Trust (network segmentation, app access brokers).
- Secure file sharing & client portals; eDiscovery-friendly retention.
- Privileged Access Management (PAM) for partners/IT.
- Continuous phishing simulations + role-based security training.
Governance & proof
- Written policies (AUP, BYOD, encryption, incident response).
- Tabletop exercises; quarterly risk reviews; vendor risk assessments.
- Evidence pack for client audits (screenshots, configs, reports).
Our key takeaways: If your stack doesn’t include MFA, EDR/MDR, email auth, and immutable backups, you’re not ready.
Map your security to NIST CSF 2.0
Organize your managed IT program under NIST CSF 2.0’s functions (now including Govern):
- Govern: roles, policies, risk, vendor management.
- Identify: asset inventory (devices, SaaS, data), data classification.
- Protect: MFA/SSO, EDR, encryption, DLP, secure configs, awareness.
- Detect: SIEM/MDR, anomaly detection, alert tuning.
- Respond: IR runbooks, forensics, comms templates, counsel coordination.
- Recover: tested restores, DR failover, post-incident lessons.
This model is client-friendly and audit-ready.
Our key takeaways: Ask your MSP to show exactly where each control maps to NIST CSF 2.0 and how it’s evidenced.
A 30–60 day rollout plan with an MSP
Week 1–2 (Stabilize)
- Rapid assessment + hardening plan
- Enforce MFA/SSO; deploy EDR/MDR
- Email security + DMARC enforcement
- Backup immutability; test a restore
Week 3–4 (Prove & train)
- Policy pack + IR runbook
- Phishing baseline + training launch
- Vulnerability backlog + patch cadence
Week 5–8 (Govern & test)
- SIEM onboarding, alert tuning
- Vendor risk reviews; least-privilege cleanup
- Tabletop exercise; client-ready evidence binder
Our key takeaways: Time-box work; requires a day-30 “show me” session with restore proof and DMARC alignment.
Plans & pricing snapshots for firms
Ballpark only—scope, tool choices, and compliance needs drive actual pricing.
| Plan | Best for | What’s inside | Typical range |
| Essentials | 5–20 users | MFA/SSO, EDR/MDR, email security, immutable backups, patching SLA, policy pack | $91–$145/user/mo + tools |
| Enhanced | 20–75 users | Essentials + SIEM, DLP basics, PAM, quarterly tabletop, vendor risk | $145–$220/user/mo + tools |
| Regulated/Client-audited | 25–150 users | Enhanced + Zero Trust, advanced DLP, geo-redundant DR, compliance reporting | Custom |
Pros & cons:
- MSP model pros: 24×7 coverage, proven playbooks, audit evidence, predictable OPEX.
- Cons: shared-service constraints, change windows, standardized toolsets (negotiate exceptions for niche apps).
Our key takeaways: Buy outcomes (RTO/RPO, response SLAs, phishing-fail reduction), not just tool names.
Common questions & myths
- “We’re small; attackers won’t bother.” Size doesn’t matter to BEC actors; email is automated at scale.
- “Cyber insurance covers it.” Policies demand controls (MFA, EDR, backups). Claims can be reduced or denied without them. [Check your policy conditions.]
- “Encryption slows us down.” Modern SSO + transparent disk/file encryption is effectively invisible to users when deployed well.
- “We’ll handle IR ad hoc.” Texas breach notice deadlines and public AG postings raise stakes—practice before game day.
Contact Uprite Services to get a free IT assessment.
Managed IT services for Houston law firms FAQs
1) What makes BEC so dangerous for law firms?
It hijacks trusted threads to divert funds, often without malware—meaning traditional AV won’t see it. Train, authenticate email, and verify payments out-of-band.
2) Do we legally have to encrypt client data?
Rules require reasonable safeguards; ABA 477R says use stronger measures (like encryption) when sensitivity/risk is high. Many clients now require it contractually.
3) What’s our breach notification timeline in Texas?
Notify affected Texans and the AG within 30 days if 250+ Texans are affected. The AG posts breach notices publicly. Consult counsel for specifics.
4) Is NIST CSF required?
Not mandated, but widely accepted and client-friendly. Using CSF 2.0 helps justify your control set to auditors and insurers.
5) Will an MSP hurt or help with ethics compliance?
Done right, it helps you meet confidentiality and tech-competence duties; you still own oversight.
6) How often should we test restores?
Quarterly at minimum; include a “bare-metal” or full-environment recovery annually.
7) What user training actually works?
Quarterly micro-modules + monthly phish tests with role-based content (e.g., trust-account staff).
8) What should be in our incident-response binder?
Contacts, roles, decision trees, comms templates, legal counsel steps, insurer contacts, regulators’ timelines, forensics workflow.
Stephen Sweeney, CEO of of Uprite.com, with 20+ years of experience brings tech and creativity together to make cybersecurity simple and IT support seamless. He’s on a mission to help businesses stay secure and ahead of the game!