{"id":548,"date":"2019-05-07T20:46:56","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T01:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/?p=548"},"modified":"2023-02-21T09:59:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T15:59:20","slug":"why-tax-season-never-stops-data-security-and-accountants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/blog\/why-tax-season-never-stops-data-security-and-accountants\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Tax Season Never Stops: Data Security and Accountants"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>Whew, you made it! April 15th is in the rearview window\u2026time to close the books and call it done (or at least until the October extension nears). WRONG! For CPAs and Accountants, tax season never stops. Why? Because data security for your clients\u2019 sensitive information should be a 24\/7, 365 priority.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner vc_custom_1546964903700\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"vc_custom_heading\">Data Security &amp; Data Defense<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>Most small to medium businesses (SMBs) don\u2019t think they will ever be a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/round-rock\/data-security-importance-barracuda\/\">target for a cyber attack<\/a>. In their minds, only Fortune 500 companies are being eyed by cybercriminals. Unfortunately, this line of thinking couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. Attackers focus on SMBs because they view them an easy target and assume they don\u2019t know how to deploy or have the budget to afford proper data security solutions. Sadly, and all too often, they are assuming correctly.<\/p>\n<p>Email and web browsing filters do an okay job of protecting you from harmful content and spam messages. However, cybercriminals are getting smarter and more cunning every day. It\u2019s critical that you\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/round-rock\/services\/cyber-security\/\">protect your company<\/a>\u00a0from vicious malware, virus, and phishing attacks. A trusted IT services provider will monitor for these attacks and provide automatic security updates and software patches so you don\u2019t have to worry about evolving scams.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"vc_custom_heading\">Working in the Cloud<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>It\u2019s becoming increasingly common for CPAs and Accountants to work in the cloud. The amount of time and money saved is too good to pass up. Cloud-based accounting offers many advantages over traditionally-installed software:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Anywhere, Anytime Access<\/b>: As long as you have an internet connection, you have access to your clients\u2019 data. Additionally, most cloud-based accounting programs allow for multiple users and offer user permissions, thus adding a much-needed level of data security.<\/li>\n<li><b>Extra Layer of Data Security<\/b>: Unlike traditional desktop models, cloud-based accounting companies securely store your information in data centers that implement advanced security protection at a level which would be extremely complex and expensive for most CPA firms to do themselves. The cloud also offers data redundancy, meaning that information is stored in multiple locations, protecting your client\u2019s data from natural disasters or other issues that may disrupt one physical server site.<\/li>\n<li><b>Automatic Data Backups:<\/b>\u00a0In addition to built-in security, another perk of the cloud is automatic data backups to offsite servers.<\/li>\n<li><b>Many Options:<\/b>\u00a0A trusted IT provider helps you choose a cloud provider that meets these needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"vc_custom_heading vc_custom_1555797539851\">Communication Channels (This is actually a regulatory requirement)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>CPAs and Accountants should try to avoid communicating with potential or existing clients solely through email. This is particularly true if any unusual accommodations are needed, like requests for duplicate W-2 copies, address changes, Social Security numbers, email addresses, or financial information. The recent spike in phishing scams means no valuable data should be transmitted electronically when a phone call or in-person meeting will suffice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<h2 class=\"vc_custom_heading\">Employee Education<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>We cannot repeat this enough: Educate all employees about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/round-rock\/new-years-resolutions-business-2019\/\">password security and email phishing scams<\/a>, especially as a tax filing deadline looms.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s time for everyone to stop using the same password for every login. We recommend using a password manager like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/itglue.com\/\">My IT Glue<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.passportalmsp.com\/\">Passportal<\/a>. These tools store passwords in an encrypted and password protected format so you don\u2019t have to remember a thing. They utilize two-factor authentication; encrypt password data at storage and transfer points; auto-fill forms; and generate strong, randomized passwords. If your business is subject to industry regulations like HIPAA, FINRA, and PCI then you should already have this in place.<\/p>\n<p>You and your employees should also never take an email from a familiar source at face value; for example, an email from \u201cIRS e-Services.\u201d If it asks you to open a link or attachment, or includes a threat to close your account, think twice. NEVER click on any link or attachment included in an email that discusses tax information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>We just hit the tip of the iceberg with this post. Data security is no joke and should be a #1 priority in your firm. After all, if something were to happen to your client\u2019s sensitive data, you would lose your client\u2019s trust and couldn\u2019t do your job. And that\u2019s why they hired you!<\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions, contact us. We are here to help!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"vc_custom_heading wpb_animate_when_almost_visible wpb_fadeIn fadeIn wpb_start_animation animated\">Let CMIT Solutions Round Rock worry about your IT so you don\u2019t have to!<\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"vc_custom_heading wpb_animate_when_almost_visible wpb_fadeIn fadeIn wpb_start_animation animated\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/contact-us\/\">Contact us today!<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whew, you made it! April 15th is in the rearview window\u2026time to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[35,36,37],"class_list":["post-548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-it","tag-accountant","tag-data-security","tag-tax-season"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}