Like it or not the cloud has integrated itself into all of all lives. Streaming movies, music, and television are a few examples. New washers, dryers, appliances, and even light bulbs access the internet. The Internet of Things (IOT), as it is called, is reaching into everyone’s lives, and it will continue to grow. As technology continues to advance, so does the need for the cloud, and the security of the cloud. The book, ‘Easy Prey: How to Protect Your Business From Data Breach, Cybercrime and Employee Fraud‘ is a valuable resource for anyone concerned about data breach and cyber crimes.

CPA firms, and other organizations have to embrace the power of the cloud. Data must be saved and legacy systems are obsolete.

CPA Data Not in the Cloud

Data not stored in the cloud is susceptible to physical theft, natural disasters, hackers, and plain and simple human error. Many companies are storing their client’s data on legacy systems. These older models may still work just fine, but tape backups and IT managed software is no longer a safe bet when it comes to securing your data.

To error is to be human. We have all heard this before. No, we are not ready to let robots run everything, but we can let those who are experts in the field handle the data as it deserves.

CPA Data in the Cloud

Managed cloud services allow the CPA to ensure his data is safe and secure at all hours. There are several strategies that can be used to store data in the cloud. There are several system setups that can store data locally, fully in the cloud, or both at the same time. Linking several cloud infrastructures together can help to give employees access to some data, managers access to other data, and hackers access to no data. CPAPracticeAdvisor.com states there are five main reasons to keep CPA data in the cloud:

1. Automation of backup processes
2. Safer from natural disasters
3. Safer from computer/server crashes
4. Redundancy (data stored in more than one location)
5. Support when restoring data

CPA Clients and the Cloud

Clients are what run all CPA firms. Clients are looking for companies that use the most technological advances to keep their data safe. They may not understand all of the techno-speak about how their data is stored, saved, and protected, but they will appreciate the part they can see.

Managed cloud services can help you create a gateway from your CPA firm to the client. Clients can log in and access their information; questions can get answered online without a trip to your office and important alerts can be sent directly to them without having to wait for the mail service to deliver important information.

CPA Employees and the Cloud

Employees will have the flexibility to access documents and other data from home. Mobile devices can have the access needed to any information available. This can be a pretty great perk when a CPA is on-site at a client’s place of business. This is not about accessing the internet and grabbing things, but about having the ability to access important data that is protected by a two-tier verification platform.

The time to join the cloud is now. There are several software companies that are working on software that works specifically for CPA firms. Managed cloud services will have access to these assets, and if they do not, they can get whatever you need (or want) to make your firm a company clients can rely on.