Hackers are attacking hospitals, insurance companies, and even CPA firms. The money they can grab from a bank is an easy score, but it is just one score. Data they can grab and hold onto, in the form of client information, can be sold and used for identity theft purposes. In the long run, this information is much more lucrative than the money they can get out of a bank. IT outsourcing, like that provided by TOSS C3, can help to maintain security against the threat of hackers and keep your data secure.

I Am Already Protected

Not if you are just using the basic defenses; like training your employees to not click on links or open suspicious emails, a firewall, or you don’t have non-essential data stored on the Internet. These are the basics and are a good start, but they are not the TOTAL defense you should have. CPA firms have to guard their client data per federal and state laws. These laws are for the privacy of the clients, and not for the companies that store the information. Data stolen can open up lawsuits, state or federal fines, lost clients, and a destroyed reputation that can last for years to come.

How Can IT Outsourcing Help?

IT outsourcing helps to place all of your data in the cloud. If there is information that requires ultra-secure protection then a good cloud service provider can create a hybrid cloud environment. The hybrid cloud will protect all access points into your network, but keeps the most important data on an internal cloud system, so it is absolutely not connected to the Internet or the hackers that live there.

IT as a Utility “Puts 100% of your Servers, Desktops, Applications, Backup, Help Desk, 24/7 Monitoring and Management in the TOSS Cloud. ITaaU® enables our clients to focus on their business and customers, not on Technology. ITaaU® turns IT into a utility-type service like water and electricity; because that’s what it should be.”

Do Smaller Firms Really Have to Worry about Hackers?

Smaller companies are what hackers live for. Larger corporations have invested so much money into their network security that only the best hackers can even think about penetrating their defenses. Smaller CPA firms are more likely to be attacked, because after all, they are more likely to have relaxed security, which in turn allows mediocre hackers the opportunity to try their ‘kung-fu.’

The Small Business Committee reported that “71 percent of cyber-attacks occur at businesses with fewer than 100 employees.” Forbes magazine wrote a piece on how small businesses can protect themselves against hackers. All of the points they bring up can be solved with a solid IT outsourcing plan from a credible cloud managed provider.

Hackers are everywhere and they are preying on the weakest in the herd. They are phishing, hacking, spoofing, and keylogging with malware, social engineering and identity theft schemes. If these words don’t make sense to you then you need to contact a preferred cloud management team who can explain to you what the threats are and how you can stop them.