Best Practices for Protecting Your LA CPA Firm's Data (SlideShare)

Best Practices for Protecting

Your LA CPA Firm's Data

Courtesy of FPA Technology Services, Inc.

http://www.TechGuideforLACPAs.com

Sponsored by http://www.TechGuideforLACPAs.com

Craig PollackFounder & CEO

The most effective starting point

for protecting your CPA firm’s

data, is to not only establish

policies to prevent data loss,

but to also implement the

right systems and applications

Establish Firm-Wide Policies

for Physical and Electronic Data

Protection

Whether your accounting firm

has five employees

or five hundred,

communicating standards

of data protection is vital

Policies should include:

• How and where to store

physical records, including

paper, USB drives, and other

• Rules on usage of firm

laptops, mobile devices,

and internet usage on

these devices

• Ensuring only privileged

employees can access

client files

• Establishment and

communication of

a file retention schedule,

based on industry standards

• Enforcing the use of anti-virus

software, and only approved

file share drives, either local

or in the Cloud

Implement Tools to Govern

Possession of Client Files

Your clients and employees

are likely comfortable using

cloud storage systems

to retain and share information

The following are some

industry leading solutions:

• ProSystem fx Document

• SmartVault

• Laserfiche

• Docuware

• Intuit Document Center

Educating Your Staff on

GAPP as Well as GAAP

Make sure your employees

are aware of data protection

principles established by the

American Institute of CPAs

such as:

• Limiting the use of wireless

Internet to only within the

office, and ensuring your

Wi-Fi network is protected

with password encryption

• Sharing client information

with third parties only as

required to conduct business

and only after receiving

client consent

• Regulating standards

on passwords, anti-virus,

firewalls, and anti-malware

on any device which has

access to client data

• Ensuring credit card

information is handled in

accordance with Payment

Card Industry security and

privacy standards

(PCI Compliance)

• Securing physical client

records offsite if possible,

or in a locked area of your

office where visitors don’t

have access

Perform Recurring

Security Audits

Consider performing

a Security Audit on your

technology on a yearly basis

For more information,

check out our

Security Assessment page

By following these guidelines

and others recommended by

the AICPA, you will retain the

trust of your clients, employees,

and regulatory agencies

Has your LA CPA firm

established policies to prevent

data loss and implemented

the right systems to prevent

data breaches?

Please share your thoughts

in the section for Comments

Learn How Los Angeles CPAs

Keep Technology Current

Without Overspending

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Best Practices for Protecting Your LA CPA Firm's Data (SlideShare)

standards of data protection

data loss

electronic data protection

privileged employees

firmwide policies

usage of firm laptops

accounting firm

internet usage

Technology

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