The hallmark of the Visory experience, our dedicated team of professionals provides a high degree of support for all your IT needs
Leading edge solutions that are always working to maintain the integrity of your firm’s IT backbone
Best in class security to protect your firm’s data and technology
Tips, advice, and industry insight from our team of accountants and business owners to yours.
Bypass the wait time and access Visory’s Obsessive Client Support®
Take your business to new heights with Visory’s flexible QuickBooks hosting solutions
The same Sage you work in every day, only better
An affordable CRM for small- and medium-sized businesses, built to support your sales, marketing and customer service needs
Revolutionize your next tax season with added efficiency and mobility
Access critical applications that are integrated seamlessly into your workflow, conveniently hosted on the same server
Access affordable enterprise-grade hosting solutions with none of the IT burden
We’ll help you develop and implement the right cybersecurity policies and protocols to keep your firm secure and in compliance with regulatory guidance
We’re here to manage your firm’s IT activity, safeguarding the integrity of your infrastructure and devices, so you don’t have to
We’ll manage your cybersecurity policies and protocols to keep your firm secure and in compliance
Security that ensures everyone granted access is who they claim to be
Educate and train your most important last line of defense – your people
Protection where people and their machines intersect
Secure access to your data. Reduce the risk of compromise, prevent cyberthreats.
A different approach to protecting emails
Secure single sign-on access for a connected world
Backup your data for business continuity and compliance
Keep everyone on the same page. Any user, every device.
Secure connections for all your users, devices and networks
Get started on a robust security plan with a WISP for your business
Protect your organization with the expertise of our Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) without having to hire a full-time resource
IRS 4557
Complying with state and federal privacy regulations and more
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy
October may be over, but cybersecurity awareness and the National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) theme of “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart” applies year round. At Swizznet, we’re happy to join in and continue the theme throughout the year. This isn’t the first time we’ve shared tips to help firms improve accounting data security.
Let’s explore why it’s important for tech-powered accounting firms to #BeCyberSmart, then take a look at some common threats to accounting data security. We’ll wrap up with a few up-to-date steps accountants can take to protect their firms and their clients.
Ransomware attackers have hit major companies like Colonial Pipeline and JBS, the largest beef supplier in the world. The world’s largest organizations are spending billions of dollars on cyber security and insurance. With the media focus on these large-scale attacks, small- and medium-sized accounting firms may think they’re not attractive targets, but even the smallest firms have access to customer financial and organizational data that hackers find valuable.
One growing mode of attack against small or medium-sized accounting practices is ransomware. A cybercriminal who gains access to accounting data could threaten to delete or expose that data if a ransom is not paid.
Swizznet has seen this firsthand in a state-based construction company client. Swizznet’s AI-enabled technology powered by CrowdStrike® noticed an unusual log in and behavior from one of the firm’s employees. Our experts monitored the situation and realized the intruder had hacked the employee’s credentials and was attempting to gain full access to the client’s server, a sign they were setting the client up for a ransomware attack. We were able to halt the attack in this case.
Remote work creates new vulnerabilities, as accountants, employees, and clients share data through personal devices and out-of-office networks. Altogether, accounting firms of all sizes should assume they are in hackers’ crosshairs and prepare security plans with that in mind.
The thought of securing an accounting firm’s entire online presence may seem overwhelming. Accountants, after all, are in the business of accounting, not IT.
Fortunately there is a consistent pattern to how bad actors attempt to breach networks and data. Verizon reports that email is the most common medium attackers use for distributing malware and phishing.
Email-based attacks work because email provides a direct way to reach employees and gain access to your systems and data. It’s difficult to prevent users from following malicious links in emails, and hackers use a variety of tactics to trick recipients into clicking through.
Verizon found a median click-through rate of 3% in simulated phishing emails, but some of the simulated phishing emails had over 50% click-through rate, illustrating why attackers increasingly use this method.
Keep An Eye Out for These Phishing Tactics:
Since human error is behind most data breaches, it’s critical to train both employees and clients so they can help prevent cyber attacks. Systems security is no longer the sole responsibility of IT departments. While cyber security experts are necessary to identify and halt breaches, it’s much less expensive and stressful to prevent attacks in the first place.
A key part of training is teaching employees about malware, which commonly enters systems through phishing emails. These emails masquerade as trustworthy sources, such as banks or the IRS, and invite users to click on a malicious link or ask users to transmit sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or passwords.
For more about the types of information you should include in employee training (and our advice about how to plan a training day), check out our post, Are Your Work-from-Home Accounting Setups Secure? Cybersecurity Tips.
Cybersecurity often brings to mind antivirus software or other technology-based ways of securing your systems. While the human side of cybersecurity is critical, new technology makes your systems much more secure against data breaches, even in the event an employee or client downloads malware.
Swizznet’s new SwizzStack suite of services is an accessible yet powerful way to protect your firm’s data. In addition to security compliance and managed IT services, SwizzStack delivers continuous system monitoring, device management, and private cloud platforms that are flexible and scalable. SwizzStack backs all that up with Swizznet’s Obsessive Support®, so you can focus on your business without worrying about security.
To learn more about how SwizzStack can help boost your accounting data security, contact us.
Our team of professionals has the right expertise to ensure your technology and cybersecurity complies with the strictest guidance and passes regulatory muster.
Active monitoring and implementation of cybersecurity protocols and procedures using leading edge technology keeps your business and your data safe and secure.