Alisa Nishimoto, PMP, encourages all businesses to be proactive with cybersecurity.
The Center for Accounting Transformation. Visit improvetheworld.net.
Center for Accounting Transformation: Visit improvetheworld.net.
A Deloitte poll showed 48.8% of C-suite professionals expect hacks targeting their data to increase—yet less than 25% say their finance & IT teams collaborate.
— Alisa Nishimoto, PMP
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, UNITED STATES, May 1, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — In February, the Deloitte Center for Controllership released findings from a poll of more than 1,100 C-suite and other executives that showed nearly half (48.8%) fully expect the number and the size of cybersecurity attacks targeting their own organizations’ accounting and financial data to increase this year. However, that same survey showed fewer than one-fourth (20.3%) said their accounting and finance teams work closely and consistently with their colleagues in cybersecurity.
Additional findings include:
*34.5% of organizations reported experiencing cyber events targeting their accounting and financial data within the past year.
*11.1% reported their cyber and accounting/finance teams do not work together at all.
*However, 39.5% said this year, they will increase the amount of time accounting/finance teams work with cybersecurity teams.
The news is particularly concerning to accountants and CPAs who work closely with sensitive financial data and usually perform that work using complex software. Additionally, IRS regulations require accounting firms to have a written information security policy (WISP) in place, and the FTC Safeguard Rules also have at least eight specific requirements that must be met within the policy and its accompanying procedures by June 9. 2023.
To help organizations meet the FTC guidelines and the IRS regulations, the Center for Accounting Transformation is offering its Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) Protection program, which begins with creating a policy to ensure IRS and FTC compliance, then continues to determine how to incorporate the appropriate technology.
“For some firms, this is done in collaboration with their existing IT service provider,” said Alisa Nishimoto, PMP, a project manager for the Center. “However, every firm is different, and for those who need more comprehensive support and technology, packages can be customized to achieve any level of support needed.
“The goal of the SOHO Protection Package is to empower small accounting firms with enterprise level cyber protection and peace of mind at an affordable price.”
The program includes three tiers: Do-IT-Yourself, Guided and Proactive.
The Do-IT-Yourself program includes workstation protection, phishing testing and training, Office 365 backup setup and a SOHO information security policy template. The Guided plan adds a meeting with an IT risk advisor to personalize the policy to the applicable IT environment, while the Proactive plan includes everything in the Guided plan, plus a cybersecurity risk advisory team and a subscription to Cybersecurity Risk Insights & Advice.
“We understand that your workload is already crazy enough without having to figure out which policy and technology is best for your firm,” Nishimoto added. “That’s why SOHO was created. You should never feel exposed to the newest virus, malware, or ransomware or worried that the IRS is going to sanction you unexpectedly.”
Get some additional insights on the new FTC guidelines at https://vimeo.com/816549921. Learn more about SOHO and how it can help your organization at https://improvetheworld.net/cybersecurity/cyber-protection-for-your-firm/.
Amy L Welch
CPA Trendlines
amywelch405@yahoo.com
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