Chartered Professional Accountants face the same IT security concerns as any other business or firm and need the same level of support.
On Saturday, September 23rd, the CompuNet InfoTech Inc. team will have the privilege of taking part in a professional development day for the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia. With roughly 100 expected attendees, this morning seminar gives us the opportunity to discuss what we consider to be a few crucial topics – IT security, data backup, and the cloud.
Our history of providing specialized IT support to accounting professionals leaves us uniquely positioned to address how dramatically advancements in technology have impacted the way a typical CPA firm operates, and answer any questions attendees may have regarding their technology and technology security. Cyber security, in particular, is an important conversation we’re very much looking forward to having with this group, especially considering the potential for serious damage when security concerns are overlooked or ignored.
The thing to keep in mind when we’re talking IT security – for a CPA firm or any other business – is that while there are definitely a few cyber criminals out there who are more than happy to cause chaos for the sake of chaos, most operate with a specific purpose. That purpose is to turn a profit, and there are two easy ways for them to do that. The first is to target a business or firm with something like ransomware that requires you fork over a set payment to get access to your systems and files. The second, more common tactic is to hack into a business’ systems and network, help themselves to whatever client or business data they come across, and then sell that data to the highest bidder.
As cyber criminals get more creative and find new ways to get a hold of your data, you need to take new steps to stop that from happening. The type of data a hacker would find in your firm’s systems is exactly the type of personal information that translates into a lucrative dark web deal for said hacker. Your client files hold everything a criminal needs to steal someone’s identity, or take out loans or credit cards under their name. That’s not a fun experience for your clients, but it can be even worse for you if the data breach that caused that headache is, for lack of a better term, your fault.
The best way to avoid this type of nasty situation is to remember that cyber security is much more than just an IT issue and act accordingly. If technology isn’t exactly your forte, you need to know who you can turn to in order to address your concerns and protect your data.
Of course, protecting your data is more than just a security concern, too. Theft isn’t the only problem that can cause data loss. Plenty of things can damage or corrupt data or the hardware that data is stored on. A power surge can fry a computer or server, and aging technology is prone to internal glitches and failing components that can also wipe out or corrupt data.
This is where data backup solutions and the cloud come together. Making use of the cloud’s ability to host important data in a secure, offsite location is a great way to keep a copy of your important files somewhere that exists separate from your network but is super easy to get to if you need to make use of those copies. Not only do offsite or hosted backups grant you the power to shrug off a ransomware attack by letting your restore access to your data yourself, but it protects both your operations and your clients from pesky data loss that results from more mundane issues.
Of course, the cloud raises concerns about security, confidentiality, and compliance. Despite how popular and widespread this technology is, it’s still new enough that a lot of professionals don’t quite know what to make of it. These are all very valid concerns, and ones CompuNet is very used to addressing. It’s why we’re adding the cloud to what is otherwise a straightforward security talk.
IT security is critical, but it’s not a solution that stands on its own. Because security takes your entire IT environment into account, it’s important to understand how your security measures work with different aspects of your technology. That’s why a great IT provider makes a point of looking at your technology as a whole and works hard to make sure all aspects of your technology work together seamlessly. Advanced security solutions are awesome, but only if they don’t get in the way of your staff doing their jobs efficiently.
September 23rd is coming up fast, and we’re excited to meet as many local professionals as we can at this event. And there is still time for you to be one of those professionals! You can register {right here}, and get all of the important details.
Want to find out more about the IT security and support solutions we have to offer local CPA firms? Get in touch with CompuNet InfoTech Inc. at info@compunet.ca or (604) 986-8170 today. We’re the IT professionals firms in Vancouver trust.
