Media Coverage of Steve Puiszis' ABA Panel Presentation on Protecting Privileged Information in U.S. Border Searches

Steven Puiszis – a Chicago-based partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP who also serves as the firm's General Counsel, Privacy, Security and Compliance – was cited in several articles reporting on steps that law firms and individual attorneys should consider to maintain client confidentiality while travelling abroad with portable electronic devices. Both articles reference his comments during a panel presentation at the American Bar Association (ABA) 2017 Annual Meeting in New York City titled "Prying Eyes: Think Confidential and Privileged Client Information is Safe at the Border? Guess again."

In Law360's "How to Protect Confidential Info From Border Searches," the importance of attorneys understanding their ethical duties when U.S border agents press to search their phones, tablets and computers is outlined. According to Puiszis, attorneys have an ethical obligation to inform their clients if their devices were searched or seized, noting that encryption is not a silver bullet to protect information. While encryption is an important tool, Puiszis explained "it's only a tool and it needs to be combined with strong passwords and dual-factor authentication, "as well as other technological and administrative measures to make encryption truly effective. "Encryption by itself is not the panacea a lot of people think it is."

Read "How to Protect Confidential Info From Border Searches" on the Law360 website (subscription required)

In the ABA Journal article "Traveling out of the country? Lawyers should consider using 'burner' devices," emphasis was given to solutions and precautions for lawyers who travel out of the U.S. and plan to bring electronic devices with them. The article describes how Puiszis suggested that all lawyers consider taking "burner" laptops and phones with them that don't contain client data. Additionally, Puiszis encouraged lawyers to question the need to take a phone or laptop containing client or firm data outside the country and whether they need to keep client information on the device when leaving the U.S.

Read "Traveling out of the country? Lawyers should consider using 'burner' devices" on the ABA Journal website