Systems run, emails flow, and protections are assumed to be in place. However, cyber risk has evolved significantly, along with the responsibility placed on businesses handling sensitive financial data.
Accountants are prime targets for cyber criminals due to the nature of the information they manage. Client records, payroll, bank details, and HMRC communications mean even a small practice can be exposed to financial and reputational damage if protections are not robust.
The risks facing practices
Modern cyber-attacks tend to focus less on technical complexity and more on exploiting people and processes. Phishing and business email compromise remain common threats. Emails appearing to come from HMRC, colleagues or trusted clients can trick users into sharing log-in credentials or approving payments. Ransomware is also a persistent concern.
For accountancy practices, the greatest impact is often the exfiltration of data prior to the ransom event, especially with users handling KYC (Know Your Customer) data such as scans of identity documents and other personally identifiable client data. Many practices also operate with vulnerabilities such as shared accounts, weak passwords, unmanaged devices, or inconsistent approaches to storing and sharing data. These gaps often arise from how systems are set up and used, particularly in more traditional or fragmented IT environments.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK Government backed scheme designed to protect organisations against common cyber threats. It focuses on secure configuration, access control, malware protection, patching, and firewalls. Rather than aiming for perfect security, it establishes a strong baseline that significantly reduces risk. For accountancy practices, it provides a practical framework to improve security while demonstrating to clients and regulators that appropriate protections are in place, something that is increasingly important in a trust-led profession.
How Cloud 365 Core helps reduce cyber risk
Many of these risks can be reduced by adopting a modern, standardised cloud approach such as Microsoft 365 through Cloud 365 Core. Compared to traditional hosted or server-based setups, Cloud 365 Core brings identity, security, device management, and data protection into a single, managed platform. This ensures security is applied consistently across users, devices, and data, rather than relying on separate systems or manual processes. Features such as multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and centralised identity management help ensure only authorised individuals can access systems from approved devices and locations.
Device management tools like Microsoft Intune allow practices to enforce security standards across hardware, minimising exposure from unmanaged or personal devices. Data is stored securely in SharePoint and OneDrive, reducing reliance on email attachments, improving visibility over access, and protecting information if a device is lost or compromised. Built-in email filtering, threat detection, and automatic updates further strengthen protection, while structured backup solutions support fast recovery if an incident occurs. In practice, this means greater visibility, fewer workarounds, and more consistent security across the business.
Practical steps that can make a difference
While frameworks like Cyber Essentials provide guidance, effective security depends on consistent implementation. Enforcing multi-factor authentication, keeping devices updated, and improving how data is stored and shared can significantly reduce risk. Moving away from shared accounts to individual access also improves both security and auditability. These steps are often simple in principle, but maintaining them consistently is where many practices struggle, highlighting the value of a structured, standardised approach.
Looking ahead
Because Cloud 365 Core is built on modern Microsoft 365, TaxAssist Accountants are already positioned to adopt the latest tools as they become useful. From Copilot, which helps with drafting and admin, to Power BI, which turns numbers into client-friendly insights. These are not gimmicks or trends, they are genuine opportunities to save time, boost productivity and offer smarter advice.
By Richard Garner, Head of Technology, Acora One
IT equipment & maintenance package
Acora One is our ISO27001/9001 certified IT partner supplying a wide range of services and products including fully supported serverless IT and local hardware solutions which are tailored to our network's needs. As part of the franchise package, a business-quality laptop and peripherals, as well as twelve months of the IT, telephone system and Office 365 E3 are included.
This solution has been created to ensure a minimal amount of your time is used on IT infrastructure, everything is compatible and ‘just works’ out of the box so that you can concentrate on building your business.
