CPA firms are again expanding beyond their traditional services to provide additional help to business that want to establish a reputation for transparency and trustworthiness.

“We think there’s a role for us as CPAs to play in this whole trust and transparency space,” Steve DelVecchio, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ U.S. Assurance Systems & Process Services Leader, told me in an interview yesterday. “Trust has been called into question in many instances. Security breaches, contaminated food, unethical and shoddy work practices all add implications for businesses and consumers. We think there is an opportunity for us to assist with trust and transparency.”

He believes that can go beyond functions such as auditing internal controls under Sarbanes-Oxley, but can also extend to services such as providing third-party certification of compliance with information security and patient privacy guidelines.

Steve DelVecchio

PwC has published a report on how companies can win back business and promote trust and transparency with the help of their accounting firms. To access it, visit 10 Minutes on Trust and Transparency.