JoshIn the digital age, appropriate data security and IT support for accountants has never been more crucial for accounting firms’ success. Inadequate data storage methods or poor cyber security can not only lead to a loss of client data but can also cause a loss of trust from current and potential clients, ultimately leading to a loss of business for your firm. Read on to understand the best to protect your client’s data and how to run your business digitally to keep up with the modern day.
Staff Training and Security
Staff are the main protectors of client data and, as such, they are the single biggest source of data breaches. To minimise this, it is important that staff are properly trained to spot cyber security threats such as phishing emails or malware attacks. These cyberattacks, if successful, could result in a significant loss of revenue as specialists may have to be brought in to fix the issue. It could also lead to a loss of trust from your clients as they may no longer believe you are able to protect their sensitive data. As such, all staff should complete cyber security training upon being hired, and refresher courses should be undertaken annually.
Additionally, the premises that contain sensitive information should be properly secured from external threats. All authorised personnel should carry ID tags with them which should always be visible. This makes spotting unauthorised personnel easier, in turn protecting your data from potential breaches. Another basic yet vital part of cyber security are passwords for all staff to access systems. Of course, these must be kept private and be regularly changed. For more sensitive parts of the premises, such as data server rooms, biometric scanners may be appropriate, as this will only permit select members of staff to enter.
If your business operates a hybrid work model, it is also important to secure your staff’s laptops. Again, sophisticated passwords are vital, but you must also ensure there is a secure centralised server, so only authorised employees can gain access.
Data Storage Solutions
Data storage solutions should be selected very carefully. When making your decision on how to store your client’s data, there are two main options.
- Hardware on the Premises
Keeping your hardware on the premises is perhaps the most secure way to store your data, provided you have properly trained staff and sufficiently secured premises. If more storage is required, this can be reasonably easy to store and instal. However, it may be costly to hire staff that are sufficiently trained in maintaining data servers; if there is a problem, specialist knowledge will be required to fix. Additionally, it may be necessary to take out hardware insurance protection in case of damage to the servers such as fire damage, water damage, or theft.
- Third Party Cloud Providers
Alternatively, you may prefer to outsource your data storage needs to third party cloud providers. This can be more suitable for smaller businesses who perhaps cannot afford to instal or maintain hardware on site. Using the cloud means that experts will be handling your data storage, meaning there is no need to hire specialist staff and there will be no hardware taking up precious space on your premises.
Cloud storage also enables secure hybrid working, as the data is on a centralised server in the cloud, so only an internet connection is required to access it. However, there are some drawbacks. Firstly, your data is not in your hands, so it is important to choose a reliable business that you have a good working relationship with. This is so, if something does go wrong, you can liaise effectively with the third party to correct any problems. Another consideration is that, as your data is on the cloud, an internet connection will always be required to access it. You must have a secure and constant internet connection in order to work, so any outages will impact productivity.