Data Security Reminders

With data breaches constantly in the news, it is essential for practitioners to make sure that they secure the networks and data for their firms.

Make sure that your IT provider or personnel are constantly monitoring your system, updating your firewalls, operating systems, antivirus software and other protective systems.  Also make sure to regularly test your backup system, to make sure that your backup files are current and can be used, in case they are ever needed.

In addition, make sure that you and your staff always think before you click.  Data thieves regularly send emails posing as vendors, clients, or potential clients in an attempt to trick users into clicking on links or opening attachments.

These links and attachments can allow the data thief to steal confidential client information or to control the computer.  In addition, phishing emails can lead to a ransomware attack, where the user’s data is encrypted and held hostage in an attempt to obtain a ransom from the user.

Tax practitioners are often targeted by phishing emails, since the client data kept by such firms is very useful to identity thieves.

A company’s cyber defenses are only as good as the knowledge that each employee has about the dangers of clicking on such links or opening such attachments.  Make sure that all of your staff are aware of this, and remind them about it regularly.  When in doubt, don’t click!