Most accounting firms have the security basics covered: firewalls, antivirus, a login policy. That's exactly why real exposure is so easy to miss. It doesn't show up in the tools you already have—it shows up in the layer underneath: the device that isn't fully monitored, the backup that's never been tested, the login that should have been shut off months ago.
That gap matters more this year. Cyberattacks are faster and increasingly AI-powered, while compliance obligations for firms handling client financial data keep tightening. The firms staying ahead aren't doing more—they're doing the right things, in the right order, and treating security as an ongoing practice rather than a box to check once a year.
This report breaks that practice down into five clear, sequential moves any firm can put in place, along with a short self-assessment to help you see exactly where your own firm stands today.
Inside, you'll find:
- The eight components a truly defensible security plan must contain
- Where firms are exposed even when their basic tools look strong (only 39% run full endpoint protection, and just 42% can remotely wipe a lost device)
- How to build a recovery plan you can actually trust, not just assume works
- Why AI use among staff has become one of the fastest-growing sources of data risk—and how to set guardrails before it's a problem