Essential Steps Accounting Firms Must Take to Counter Cyber Attacks

Businesses in every industry need to be aware of the growing threat of cybercrime. One industry where cybercrime is particularly prevalent is the accounting industry, with cyber threats being used to target sensitive financial data. So, what can UK accounting firms do to counter cyber attacks and safeguard data? This post will outline a few essential steps that will help you develop robust protection.

Recognising the Growing Cyber-Threat Landscape for Accountants

Over 4 in 10 businesses in the UK reported having any kind of cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. Phishing attacks are the most prevalent along with ransomware, both of which are commonly reported in the UK financial sector as a way to steal sensitive financial information that can cause significant real-world damage for accounting firms and their clients.

Implementing Strong Authentication & Access Management

One of the best ways to protect client data is with the use of strong authentication. This should involve the use of random, complex passwords that are changed multiple times throughout the year. Additionally, multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be used to add another layer of protection to accounts. You can also use access management as a way to control who has access to what – staff should only have access to the data they need for their specific role to reduce the attack surface.

Regular Security Audits & Software Updates

Ongoing vulnerability assessments are important for testing your defences and finding vulnerabilities that can be fixed to strengthen your protection against the latest threats. In addition to this, patch management is hugely important – software and operating system updates should be made as soon as they become available to ensure that you have the latest protection in place.

Securing Remote Work & Client Communications

Securing remote access is key as remote work can create vulnerabilities. VPN for business solutions are a smart investment that will enable you to create encrypted communication channels, which can safeguard data in transit from interception and tampering.

Employee Cybersecurity Training & Incident Response Plans

Most breaches occur due to human error or social engineering. This is why it is essential to provide cybersecurity training to staff so that they can carry out duties safely, protect data, and spot common scams. You must also have prepared response strategies for breaches that will help you mitigate damage in the event of a cyber incident.

Accounting firms must make cybersecurity a top priority in 2025. Cybercrime is on the rise, and accounting firms are targeted heavily due to their valuable financial data. The advice in this post will help you take a few key steps that will enable you to develop robust protection against the latest threats. By focusing on these areas, you can protect your business, data, and clients from cybercrime and the significant losses that can occur as a result of a data breach.