CPAs are part of an industry that values number and data-crunching perhaps above all others. Therefore, it is vital that Accounting firms and their stakeholders heed the following data security tips as if their livelihoods depend upon it.

Because, they do.

First, you will need to assess your current data protection and Security levels

As a New York accounting firm, you need to have regular evaluations of your security performance. If you fail to do this, you’ll never know if your Network and data are secure or not.

And, you don’t want to learn the hard way from a cyber breach or malicious email virus that your IT, email, and data security performance level was substandard, do you?

Of course not!

Our NYC data protection experts can provide an annual security assessment and review for your accounting firm.  You may not have the time or budget to implement all suggestions, but at least you will know your weaknesses and you can develop a plan to improve over time.

Why Timing and Accuracy Matters in Accounting Data Security

As stated on the CPA Practice Advisor website, “Not only does the client [of accountants] need to have proficient financial processes but the accountants themselves need software programs that keep track of clients’ accounting information with improved efficiency.”

Accountants must have efficient data management and processing, and their IT networks must meet the demand – and not get caught behind when the tax season rush is on.

Before the year starts to get extra busy for CPAs, New York accounting firms need to start thinking about getting a full network review, security assessment, and backup and recovery test completed from a proven leader in NYC IT services, Krantz Secure Technologies.

Information Systems and Physical Security Policies

Your IT network can be virtually bulletproof to hackers and your data well-encrypted, but if your staff isn’t trained or your office isn’t physically secure as well, your data is still at risk, with insider threats accounting for over half of cyber breach cases.

You’ll want to ensure the physical security of your office with card keys, visitor logs and badges, and proper locks on doors leading to all critical infrastructure.

Also:

• Use cable locks to ensure laptops, desktops, tablets, and any other critical devices are locked to desks.
• Have data security policies in place for each employee.
• Mandate clean desks (no sensitive information left on desks, whiteboards or print stations).
• Implement password policies that define the proper construction and maintenance of passwords.
• Establish acceptable use policies for utilizing company data and technical assets.

Add to that, employing mobile device management policies to help employees understand the risks associated with smartphones and tablets; keep your network users informed and accountable, and have training classes for your employees to learn cybersecurity dos and don’ts.

Weekly (or even monthly) information security newsletters can help remind your users of the importance of IT security, as well as provide updates on the latest trends and threats.

Krantz Secure Technology Solutions

We start from the outside and work toward each user device to implement proper data security protocols.

We ask questions like: Are your cloud vendors PCI compliant? It’s a compliance standard that can generally be trusted.

We will place a business-grade firewall at the front of your network that is supported and continually updated. And, we’ll make sure your WiFi networks use strong passwords and encryption protocols. (Keep guest networks separate from internal networks.)

Krantz also offers a business-grade antivirus solution for all PCs and standard email defense software on your network.

Do you know what compliance regulations your business or your customer’s business requires you to have? Not to worry, we can help you determine and abide by them.

Automated Backup and Disaster Recovery

What if your network is hacked or infected by a malicious virus?  If major financial institutions or Fortune 500 companies have some data security vulnerability, you likely will, too (even if you follow some of these tips).

Can you recreate lost data or data being held hostage by a malicious virus?  Do you conduct a periodic test of your data backups to confirm their validity?  Do you have multiple layers of backup – local, onsite, offsite?

Our data backup and business continuity solutions will be your best insurance policy against disaster.

Addressing the Data Security Implications of BYOD Policy

The use of personal devices on a company network to handle client data is always one of your largest security concerns.  If you allow company data on personal devices, there are some steps you can take to limit the security vulnerabilities this may cause.  Here are some tips:

• Have a policy in place that states when it is acceptable to use personal devices for work purposes.
• Have a mobile device management (MDM) solution deployed to help manage all company data on personal devices.
• Having proactive data security monitoring tools in place, also, will generally be much cheaper than the cost of a data breach or work stoppage from an IT outage.

Your firm can work on some of these solutions on your own, of course, but a proactive IT partner like Krantz Secure can help you with the rest.

Let Krantz step in as your NYC IT security management team to guide you to new levels of data security protection assurance!

Our Security as a Service is Designed for Busy CPAs!

Call a Krantz IT consultant today at (212) 286-0325 or email us at [email protected] for more information on how our data security services for accountants can get you and your accounting firm to a place of optimum data performance and productivity – and in a timely fashion as well, to help you beat the tax season rush!