As the next tax season approaches, CPA firms face unique challenges and opportunities. Addressing common and unexpected IT issues is crucial to ensure a successful tax season. Enhancing data security, ensuring application and bandwidth stability, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and adopting cloud-based platforms are essential steps in preparing for a smooth tax season.
Protecting sensitive data and ensuring unified security for remote and offshore workers are vital to maintaining a competitive edge. Leveraging technology to enhance hiring and talent retention is equally important in driving productivity and growth. The helpful checklist and explaining narrative below capture these elements to help you get your pre-tax season started.
IT Pre-Tax Season Checklist
The 2023 tax season poses unique challenges and opportunities for CPA firms. To ensure a successful tax season, address common and unexpected IT issues with this checklist:
Enhance Data Security: Prioritize accurate record keeping to expedite refunds and reduce IRS audits. Utilize a secure cloud-based platform to safeguard client tax information and maintain compliance with the new FTC Safeguards Rule.
Ensure Application and bandwidth Stability: Partner with a third-party IT provider to avoid application crashes and bandwidth problems. Verify server capacity to handle peak data loads during tax season.
Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures: Conduct a comprehensive cybersecurity review and provide security training to employees to combat rising cyber threats.
Adopt Cloud-Based Platforms: Cut overhead costs with cloud-based solutions, ensuring seamless access to essential files and applications from any location.
By following this checklist, your CPA firm can confidently navigate the 2023 tax season, overcome challenges, and seize opportunities for growth and success.
Cyber Security Protections for Your CPA Firm
Data is a crucial asset for the everyday business operations of CPAs. However, the threat of data theft can lead to a loss of trust and even the potential closure of a business. To protect against cyber threats, enterprises, including CPA firms, should focus on four core pillars of cyber security:
Policies and Planning: Develop clear cyber security policies and allocate appropriate budgets to ensure effective protection.
Use of Technology and Vigilant In-house Security: Choose the right technology tools and maintain a vigilant in-house security team to bolster the defense.
Employee Education and Awareness: Educate employees on cyber security risks and promote awareness to prevent breaches.
Backup and Disaster Recovery: Implement a robust backup and disaster recovery solution to ensure data continuity during cyber attacks.
Organizations, including CPA firms, can strengthen their cyber security measures and mitigate potential threats by prioritizing these pillars. However, despite effective prevention measures, data breaches may still occur. In such cases, CPA firms should consider the importance of cyber security insurance to safeguard their operations and assets.
CPA firms facing rising cybercrime risks need cybersecurity insurance coverage to protect against data breaches and cyberattacks. Cybersecurity insurance provides first-party and third-party coverage and safeguards against breach-related risks. Costs vary based on business type, size, and location.
Cetrom offers IT cloud-based security solutions to prepare CPA firms for robust cybersecurity insurance coverage. Protect your business with strong IT measures and cybersecurity insurance to ensure client trust and financial well-being.
Leverage Technology to Help Hire & Retain Talent
Cybersecurity is not the only concern for CPA firms seeking to carve out a new competitive edge in their industries. Hiring and retention, for example, can pose significant challenges to even the most successful CPA Firms. To ensure effective hiring and retention, adapt operations to cater to the demands of remote and hybrid workforces. Also, promote teleworking and flexible work arrangements to attract and retain skilled professionals.
This may require investments in employee upgrades and communication, but these upgrades will be well worth the cost and effort when they result in a more productive workforce. Hiring and retention play a significant role in the success of CPA firms, and adapting operations to accommodate remote and hybrid workforces is essential.
Consider using technology to upgrade staff skills to enhance client service and expertise. Your firm can also leverage technology to improve communication channels within the firm for better collaboration. The Cloud offers significant advantages to businesses, enabling flexibility with hiring and ensuring unified security for remote and offshore workers. With cloud-based solutions, companies can easily onboard and integrate new employees regardless of location, enabling a more agile and diverse workforce.
Remote and offshore workers can access the same centralized cloud infrastructure, fostering collaboration and seamless communication. Moreover, cloud-based security measures provide a unified approach to protecting sensitive information and systems, ensuring consistent protection for all workers, regardless of location. The Cloud’s capabilities empower businesses to optimize their workforce and safeguard operations in an increasingly interconnected and globalized world.
By promoting teleworking and flexible arrangements, firms can attract and retain skilled professionals, ultimately leading to a more productive workforce. Investing in employee upgrades and improving communication through technology will further enhance client service and expertise, contributing to the firm's overall success. Addressing these areas of concern as CPA firms evolve will position them for continued growth and success in the dynamic business landscape.
Don’t Go At It Alone – Get Help From the Experts
Outsource to the experts when it comes to cyber security and technology management. These firms outsource their IT needs to experienced providers. Entrusting cyber security to an IT provider offers peace of mind and allows businesses to concentrate on growth and new opportunities. Specialized IT outsourcing ensures robust protection and enables companies to focus on their core objectives.
Cetrom offers an all-in-one cloud-based IT hosting solution tailored to the specific needs of CPA firms. With remote work becoming the norm, Cetrom ensures that employees can securely access their work applications and files from anywhere, providing 24/7 support to maintain uptime and improve systems. Cetrom's enterprise-level security measures offer peace of mind, making it an excellent choice for CPA firms aiming to navigate the 2023 tax season smoothly.