Accounting Firms are Counting on Their IT

Financial accounting with calculator and financial chart data and computer keyboard

We’re right in the middle of tax season and accountants are having to manage potential attacks on their data. This is a great time of year for IRS and tax fraud, and we’ve seen plenty of these attacks, first hand. Since people depend on your organization to keep their most sensitive information secure, having an effective strategy to protect that information is extremely important. As an technology partner, Ashton Technology Solutions knows how to help accountants handle this issue. Let’s take a look.

Securing an Individual’s Tax Data

Cybercriminals understand that accountants hold some of the most lucrative data there is, and tax time is an extremely stressful time for them. This stress leads to opportunities for cyberattacks. Of course, accountants aren’t the only profession that can make major mistakes protecting client data; it’s just that the data they are charged with protecting is extraordinarily sensitive. It just so happens that it is the data that hackers and scammers most covet.

Whether it’s a ransomware attack and the threat of encrypting all of your client data (with the possibility of data then being exfiltrated and shared on the dark web)or a phishing attack aimed at collecting your data, the threats are common and scary.

Additionally, if your organizations work with larger companies, these businesses may start to think of you as a liability if you have problems securing their data. Losing control over the data your firm is trusted with is a telltale sign that your business is in trouble. This is why prioritizing data security is essential.

Protecting Your Data

To protect your data, you need a next generation firewall, strong endpoint protection, and a good backup and disaster recovery plan. Firewalls and endpoint security are a great starting (or maybe we should say ‘stopping’) point. If you are unfortunate enough to deal with a ransomware attack, the easiest solution is in restoring your data from backup. Not only that, it is a huge part of any continuity plan, regardless of what data you hold or what kind of business you have.

To protect your network, you need an educated workforce that knows what the attacks look like, and how to avoid them. And there’s no reason to not be using multifactor authentication (MFA or 2FA). These extra steps go a long way in helping to protect your most valuable assests.

Ashton Technology Solutions offers an array of IT-related services that are tailor-made for professional service companies like accountants and CPAs. Not only do we offer customizable backup and disaster recovery solutions, we also provide around-the-clock monitoring and support to ensure that your organization’s technology is working properly. Our IT services will provide your organization with increased productivity, stability, collaboration, and communications, all of which can benefit your company’s bottom line.