Beyond the Ledger | COCPA Summer 2024

Atop the daily stresses of “busy season” within the public accounting sector, imagine a scenario in which your laptop gets hacked, your company systems are inaccessible, or your client data have been stolen, with critical filing and client deadlines meanwhile quickly approaching.

In today’s interconnected, digitally enabled world, all businesses face a landscape of growing cybersecurity threats, with no industry or company size immune. For accounting professionals working in public accounting firms, many of which are small- or medium-sized businesses, safeguarding sensitive financial, personal, and client data is paramount. This is particularly true in light of the business model of obtaining and interacting with highly sensitive data and the potential reputational impact with existing and future clients.