Clients entrust accounting firms with some of their most sensitive financial and personal information.
As a result, any lapse in IT security can result in a catastrophic situation for the client and a diminished reputation for you. That’s why an experienced third-party IT services company is essential for any accounting company. If you’re an accounting firm that doesn’t have the know-how or expertise to secure integral information, here are some reasons to outsource your IT services.
Combating Lax Training and Employee Indifference
One of the biggest problems faced by accounting firms today lies within their staff training and expectations. According to one study from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a disproportionately high amount of security breaches were simply due to a lack of training or lack of forethought by employees.
Weak passwords that access a majority of an accounting company’s data are also one of the foremost reasons for security breaches.
While employee training programs are ideal for curbing security threats, you may not have the time or knowledge to construct an effective meeting.
Thankfully, an IT service firm can “close the back door” so to speak and also come up with the right training programs to keep your employees apprised of risk and the potential of security breaches.
Updating Security Software
Updating your security software is an integral part of protecting sensitive information.
But if you don’t assign the task to an employee or you’re too busy to do it yourself, the lapse in software updates can pose a massive security threat.
LAN WAN is an IT firm that can bridge the gap, installing the software updates you need to protect your network from the latest malicious programs such as spyware, adware, and ransomware.
Keeping Your Reputation Intact
According to an Accountingtoday.com study, the most egregious cost of a security breach is your firm’s reputation, accounting for 42% of your total expenditures to resolve the breach.
Yet there’s no clear-cut path back to a respectable reputation. Humans are human. As such, a security breach may permanently plant a seed of doubt in the heads of potential clients. The only surefire way to avoid this situation is to prevent it from happening with the services of an IT firm.
Lack of a Security Strategy
Although larger accounting firms often have a dedicated IT department, small- and medium-sized businesses don’t have the payroll to justify such a cost. As a result, their security strategy flounders. To combat the cyber-criminals, an IT services firm is a necessary expenditure in terms of assessing current security lapses and needs.
With a thorough security risk assessment and the implementation of a plan, accounting firms can focus on what they do best.
Securing Cloud-Based Information
To allow both customers and employees to access information remotely, many accounting firms are turning to cloud-based storage solutions.
Unfortunately, cloud-based information can often be more susceptible to theft than a local area network. LAN WAN is experienced in shoring up this lack of security by implementing security measures, as well as setting your company up with a virtual private network (VPN) to further protect your assets and information.
Without the help of an experienced IT team, accounting companies are constantly at risk. To maintain a solid reputation, reduce cybersecurity risks, and sustain growth, let’s talk and discuss all the options available to your accounting firm.
