What is a data breach? Data breaches are unauthorized access to and theft of sensitive data by cybercriminals. Bad actors may gain entry to an organization’s store of customer data through various techniques, including brute force attacks, phishing, or social engineering schemes. Ransomware attacks may encrypt sensitive data and only unlock access to vital systems […]

What is Zero Trust? Zero Trust is a cybersecurity model that keeps organizations’ data safe by requiring users to continuously verify and authenticate their identities. Analyst John Kindervag, formerly of technology research firm Forrester, first coined the term in 2010. But the concept also has roots in the “black core” architecture theory of the U.S. […]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created the ERC tax credit to support businesses and tax-exempt organizations that supported employees during COVID-19. However, the IRS reports that it is pausing the ERC tax credit due to reports of fraud, especially with the IRS seeing aggressive marketing that is misleading businesses and tax-exempt organizations to claim the […]

Increasingly, governments and regulatory bodies, including the IRS, FTC, and SEC are requiring formalized security plans. In the U.S., some states require financial institutions, such as CPAs, accounting firms, mortgage brokers, universities, and nonbank lenders, to establish a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). This formal plan outlines the roles of staff in data security protections, […]

Earlier this year, the SEC announced new cybersecurity guidelines and finalized those rules in August after the standard public review period. These rules affect how public companies must report major cyber breaches and when. Additionally, the rules detail how board directors should prepare and manage ongoing security issues. The new rules take effect on December […]

What are client advisory services? Accounting professionals are adapting to clients’ changing needs, which demand greater insight and value from their advisors. For many, managing a growing business can be daunting. Making wise financial decisions to help their companies grow requires understanding various investment options, tax laws, market trends, and cybersecurity.  CPAs providing advisory and […]

With the increasing importance of transparency and accountability in both private and governmental settings, the U.S. government has introduced the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Set to go into effect on January 1, 2024, the CTA aims to tackle financial issues such as money laundering.   As the deadline approaches, now is the time to identify which […]

Seventy-three percent of all teams will include remote workers by 2028. Companies must contend with an increasingly global workforce, managing payroll for employees in different countries, states, and jurisdictions. Maintaining payroll compliance in this environment is a daunting task. Laws are constantly changing, and companies often need guidance to ensure compliance. We’ve put together our […]

Customer data security is of increasing importance to companies aiming to operate on a global scale. From ChatGPT to the U.S. House of Representatives, data breaches are on the rise and cost businesses an average of almost $10 million per breach. Major brands are frequently in the news, suffering massive costs. In 2022 alone, T-Mobile’s […]

The worldwide average cost of a data breach is $4.35 million, according to a report by IBM. Companies are doing business in a global industry with operations spread out to maximize profit. With wider operations comes an increased risk of cyber-attacks—but while companies will look to shore up their own cyber defenses, research shows they […]