Avoiding the usual scams: Tax-related scams this year have risen to a level I’ve not experienced before in more than 4 decades of practice. Tax preparers are among the most targeted group. The defenses tend to require low tech personal attention. EMAIL – We observe that most (I read 85%) of scams begin with email. […]
As we end the decade, I look around with amazement at the general lack of regard for online security. I don’t know if people don’t know the risks, underestimate the risks, object to the cost, simply don’t care, or possibly there is some other reason. I would have presumed that most people would have adopted […]
I am considering switching from Chrome to Edge as a primary business browser on Windows 10 machines. Security will be the highest consideration in the decision with privacy, speed and resource consumption also important issues. No decision is made yet. One thing is clear: the two were not even close until the most recent fall […]
We already know that a large portion of cyber attacks reportedly target small businesses. SCORE put out a useful summary report earlier this year and this article by People Driven Solutions gives a good overview. CURRENT STANDARDS What should we do about it? Most of my clients follow these basics standards: Keep software up […]
Both of these issues came in the last days of September. As of today, I only know that both issues deserve more attention. MICROSOFT: This is significant technical news for the legal and accounting fields as well as many other small businesses who use a Windows based system to manage data. Bottom line: I will […]
In the normal course of business it is necessary to periodically update for changing trends, technology and legal and industry standards. This month I made the following six changes that will be reflected in future engagements: 1. Elimination of fax communications. Fax is just outdated, often insecure and inefficient. Instead, I encourage the use of […]
We notice that a growing portion of our tax clients prefer to communicate by text message over other methods like live in-person, telephone, fax, email, and video call. It is clear that texting is the #1 tax communication method now, exceeding the combined use of all other methods. The IRS and state tax authorities do […]
Some blog post I write just for me, so that I’ll remember next time the situation comes up. If this helps another accountant, great. This is a workaround to a overly sensitive security issue that’s caught me a few times. A prospective client sends the accountant invitation through QuickBooks Online. (If you are not an […]
Back in 2012 I published a few educational articles reviewing and promoting the use of password management software. The message in short: we should all be using separate, randomly generated passwords for each our online accounts that are not written or recorded in non-secure online locations and are changed periodically. One of these articles is still […]
It is possible to simultaneously support the 2nd amendment and disarmament. The world is changing at an increasing rate. This is called the “age of accelerations”. Unfortunately our government, our laws, and public attitude is not keeping pace with this rapid pace of change in a way that allows up to effectively process and deal […]