For accounting firms, cybersecurity isn’t just an IT task. It’s a critical part of client protection, operational continuity, and compliance. From phishing scams to ransomware attacks, today’s threats are more sophisticated and more persistent.
These risks only increase at year-end. Between November and January, attackers capitalize on reduced staffing, increased distractions, and overreliance on remote work. A recent FTI Cybersecurity report confirms this trend. Cybercriminals intensify campaigns during holidays, exploiting slower response times and lower vigilance.
For CPA firms managing sensitive financial data, it’s the perfect time to strengthen cybersecurity before risk becomes reality.
Hackers don’t need to look far to find vulnerable CPA firms. Tax records, payroll information, audit files, and personally identifiable data are all stored within firm systems. All of these are highly valuable on the black market.
According to Financial Cents, many accounting firms still rely on outdated infrastructure or limited internal IT oversight. This opens the door to costly breaches, especially during peak distraction periods.
Key risk factors include:
As outlined in Closing the IT Security Gap for CPA Firms, even well-meaning firms leave critical vulnerabilities exposed when IT resources are stretched thin.
Recognizing the most common attack vectors is the first step in protecting your firm.
1. Phishing and Spoofed Emails
Hackers impersonate clients, vendors, or firm leadership in emails that prompt urgent action. During holidays, rushed or unfamiliar staff are more likely to fall for them.
The guide Defending CPA Firms from Phishing offers specific examples of how these schemes are evolving and what firms can do to recognize them early.
With the right steps, firms can significantly reduce risk and increase resilience before, during, and after the holiday season.
For firms looking to improve staff awareness, Steps Accounting Firms Should Take for Cybersecurity Awareness highlights easy-to-implement training practices.
When cybersecurity matters most, Cetrom delivers secure, managed IT solutions built specifically for CPA firms. Our approach combines compliance-ready infrastructure with real-time support to keep your systems protected, your team productive, and your clients’ data safe.
Cetrom provides round‑the‑clock support from senior‑level, US‑based engineers who understand the needs of accounting firms. This support is available any time your team needs help, whether it is during extended hours, peak workload periods, or critical deadlines.
Cetrom’s approach gives you direct access to experienced engineers and goes beyond basic ticketing systems to deliver real solutions when issues arise.
We manage and secure your critical applications, including CCH, Thomson Reuters, QuickBooks, Lacerte, and more. Everything is hosted in a virtual environment designed for accounting workflows and performance.
As discussed in Accounting Firms Are Benefiting from Eliminating Onsite Servers, firms that move to the cloud improve flexibility, reduce risk, and simplify IT management across locations.
We manage and secure your critical applications, including CCH, Thomson Reuters, QuickBooks, Lacerte, and more. Everything is hosted in a virtual environment designed for accounting workflows and performance.
Our deep dive into EDR and MDR – Essential Security Benefits explains why passive monitoring is no longer enough.
We deliver continuous, encrypted backups across geographically diverse data centers. This ensures uptime, compliance, and peace of mind.
IT leaders require reliable infrastructure, expert support, and assurance that systems will perform optimally during peak workloads. Operations managers seek technology that streamlines daily workflows, boosts productivity, and ensures compliance without consuming resources. Managing partners prioritize client trust, uninterrupted access to systems, and long-term value from every technology investment.
Cetrom supports all of these needs. With over 25 years of experience and blocking more than 1.3 million threats annually, we deliver what accounting firms expect from a trusted IT partner: confidence, compliance, and continuity.
The article Smart CPAs Choose Strategic IT Partners: Here's Why outlines what makes long-term IT partnerships so impactful for firm growth and security.
As tax season approaches and your team prepares for the year ahead, this is the ideal time to evaluate your cybersecurity foundation.
With Cetrom, your firm gets more than managed cloud services. You gain a dedicated IT partner who understands the accounting industry, supports compliance, and delivers reliability when it matters most.
Cyber threats continue to evolve. Cetrom helps your firm stay ahead with expert guidance, always available support, and a security-first approach tailored to CPAs.