Accounting firms deal with sensitive client data, imperative to a business’s growth. Consequently, they are the favorites of most hackers across the world. To overcome the ever-looming threat of cyberattacks, most accounting firms plan to migrate their QuickBooks and data to the cloud. However, most ignore to make sure whether the cloud provider is capable of providing total data protection.
This is where a layered security strategy comes into the picture. Before choosing a QuickBooks hosting provider, you must probe into the provider’s security architecture to see if they implement a layered security approach.
Let’s see what a layered security approach is, why you need it, and what safeguards a QuickBooks hosting provider must deploy for it.
What is a Layered Security Approach?
A layered security approach involves the deployment of multiple detection and safety points to protect an IT infrastructure. Derived from the term “defense in depth”, a layered security approach ensures that even if a hacker is able to get past one line of defense, your data is still protected under multiple safeguards. This offers organizations the time and capability to identify and neutralize a cyberattack without fail.
Why Do You Need Layered Security?
Here are some factors why you need a layered security approach for your QuickBooks.
The Diverse Cyberthreat Ecosystem
Technology is taking new strides in the cybersecurity domain every day. However, cyber threats are not far behind. New and advanced methods of cyberattacks are evolving rapidly using the latest technologies like AI. According to Accounting Today, the cyber threats on accounting businesses increased 300% after the pandemic.
Be it phishing attacks, ransomware, SQL injection, pig butchering, or DDoS attacks, different attacks require different protocols and strategies. A layered security system ensures adaptability against all cyber threats. Every cyber threat can be analyzed and monitored individually to be prepared for any scenario.
Vulnerabilities in a Stand-alone Technology
If you use a single antivirus or firewall for the entire data security of your office, you only have a single shield protecting your data and applications. The hackers can easily engineer a way to tackle a single defense system or find a loophole in the technology.
A layered security approach offers redundancy in your security architecture. The hackers need to breach multiple security safeguards to reach your data.
Protection Against Human Error
Human error is one of the most common reasons for a data breach among accountants. The employees, intentionally or unintentionally, can open a malicious website or click on a link in their email.
A multi-layered security environment eliminates the possibility of data breaches due to human error. For instance, even if the employee’s password is compromised, multi-factor authentication ensures that the hacker is not able to get access to the data.
Compliance Requirements
As the data security vulnerabilities increase, the compliance requirements by regulatory bodies are also becoming stringent by the day. Non-compliance with these regulations can lead to heavy penalties and a dent in your reputation. A layered security infrastructure ensures compliance with all major regulations.
Increase in Productivity
In a stand-alone security system, your employees are already worried about the looming security threats, which hampers their productivity. With a multi-layered security approach, employees can work carefree. As an owner, you also don’t need to stress about reputation, penalties, or ransoms.
Layered Security Approach By QB Hosting Provider
If you plan to opt for hosted QuickBooks, it is essential to check whether your service provider has implemented a layered security strategy. Here are factors you can check for -
Data Center Security
The first stage of multi-layered security starts with the physical security of the data center where your QuickBooks and data are situated. The data center must be equipped with high-level security to ensure no unauthorized person can access the cloud servers.
You must ask the provider if the data center has 24/7 CCTV surveillance, skilled security staff, and multi-level access with fingerprint or retina scan. You must also check if the data center has an efficient data-wiping process so that all your data is erased while discarding damaged hardware. The data center must also have raised floors and a flood detection system to ensure safety during such a scenario.
Data Center Tier and Redundancy
The data centers are classified into four tiers, depending on the quality of the facilities and the services they offer. Some worth-mentioning factors include physical security, fault tolerance (hardware redundancy), uptime, and power and cooling redundancy.
The hosting provider must host your QB and data on Tier 4 data centers. These data centers have a 2N or 2N+1 fault tolerance, which means your entire accounting process is replicated on multiple systems. Moreover, these data centers have multiple power and cooling systems, completely independent of each other. Hence, even if there is a power outage or equipment failure, your data is still secure.
Disaster Recovery
Your QB hosting provider might host your data in an advanced data center. However, in the case of a natural catastrophe, such as a massive earthquake, the entire location might be affected.
To counter this situation, the QB hosting providers must deploy a disaster recovery system. In a disaster recovery system, your entire accounting process is replicated in multiple data centers spread across far-apart locations. Hence, even if a data center location gets affected due to a natural disaster, your data is secure in other locations.
Network Security
Network security pertains to all the security safeguards and protocols cloud providers implement on their network. All the incoming traffic is monitored, and any malicious traffic is prevented from entering the network. The safeguards include gateway firewalls (hardware and software), data encryption, data tunneling, IP filtering, IDPS (Intrusion Detection and Prevention), etc.
Endpoint Security
The endpoint security is the measures taken to ensure safety at the endpoint level. The endpoint can be user devices, such as laptops, and smartphones, or the provider’s cloud servers. You can enquire if the provider implements multi-factor authentication, OS patching, antivirus, antimalware, etc.
Administrative Security
Administrative security encapsulates all the procedures the admin implements to ensure safe access to sensitive data. For instance, they assign roles to each employee based on their position in the organization. Based on the roles, they can implement access controls (view, edit, delete, etc.) for each employee.
Security Audit
A security audit comprises the analysis of the security infrastructure, protocols, and network. It helps the cloud provider identify loopholes in the security system and methods to rectify them.
A QB hosting provider must conduct a security audit periodically to enhance their security environment. You can ask the QB hosting provider about their audit procedures and frequency. You can also ask for previous reports to get a clear picture.
Prioritize Layered Data Security for QuickBooks Hosting
As an accounting firm, a QuickBooks hosting provider with a layered security architecture should be your top priority. Having your firm’s data security sorted out gives you the leverage to focus on core areas, such as client satisfaction.
ACE is an Intuit Authorized host that offers advanced cloud solutions protected by a multi-layered security infrastructure. Your QuickBooks is hosted in Tier 5 data centers with 24/7 network monitoring, environmental controls, and enterprise-grade firewalls.
Want to try QuickBooks hosting with advanced security controls? Get our 7-day free trial now.
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