Nervous About Online Accounting and Wondering, “Is QuickBooks® Secure?”
Regardless of what type of business you own, one of your top concerns is the integrity and security of your most important and sensitive information. If you’ve been using an old-fashioned bookkeeping method, such as a physical logbook, spreadsheets, or a shoebox full of receipts, you may have some security concerns about upgrading to a digital bookkeeping system like QuickBooks® Desktop or QuickBooks® Online. These concerns are certainly valid, as cyberattacks seem to be in the news practically every day.
The good news, however, is that one of the most popular bookkeeping software packages available on the market—QuickBooks®—is also one of the most secure.
A Quick Overview of QuickBooks® Online
The desktop version of QuickBooks® was a traditional software package. Business owners would purchase the software and install it on their computers. In contrast, the newer version of QuickBooks® is QuickBooks® Online. It marries versatile QuickBooks® functionality with the convenience of online data storage via the cloud.
Cloud storage is the preferred method of data storage for business owners around the world because it offers 24/7 accessibility from anywhere that offers an Internet connection, scalability, and exceptional security. Data safety is enhanced by redundant servers and automatic backups that Cloud storage provides.
3 QuickBooks® Security Features To Safeguard Your Financial Data
Bank-Level Security Measures to Protect From External Cyberattacks
As secure as basic cloud storage is, QuickBooks® takes things to the next level. They implement bank-level security measures to ensure the sensitive data of their users won’t become compromised. The QuickBooks® team takes the threat of cyberattacks seriously. Between their professional team of cybersecurity experts and their automated tools, QuickBooks®-related data is protected around the clock, 365 days per year.
QuickBooks® uses industry-leading security safeguards to ensure data protection and privacy. It implements the DigiCert® Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate Authority, with firewall-protected servers and 128-bit SSL encryption technologies. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, you’ll be pleased to know that this encryption technology is the same used by some of the world’s most secure banks.
It isn’t just remote digital attacks that QuickBooks® guards against, either. One of the potential risks of cloud storage is the possibility that an unauthorized individual could gain access to the server farms that house the data. There, that individual might fraudulently obtain sensitive information.
QuickBooks® reduces this risk by housing its servers in highly secure warehouses, which are guarded by a full-time security team and a high-tech alarm/video surveillance system. Plus, those warehouses also feature advanced smoke and flood detection systems, along with a state-of-the-art fire suppression system to safeguard against threats from natural disasters.
Data Permissions Specific To Each User To Prevent Data Breaches From Within Your Company
Of course, illegitimate access to server farms isn’t the only possible threat to sensitive data. Some businesses face the possibility of data theft from within. Even if you’re positive that you can trust each of your employees, it’s still important to limit access to sensitive information, such as your customers’ credit card numbers and your employees’ Social Security numbers.
QuickBooks® has anticipated this issue. With the online version, you’ll be able to share access with every employee who needs it (along with your online bookkeeper). Each user will have their own secure login. You’ll be able to specify the permissions level for each user, such as to prevent a user from accessing certain task areas (i.e., receivables or banking) and activities (i.e., credit card accounts).
The permissions levels are highly specific, ranging from no access at all to unrestricted access. For example, you could give Employee Jane the ability to view all data in a specific area, but not to modify the data. You could give Employee John the ability to view balances in the Customer Center, but not to create new entries. Limiting access in this way serves to better protect your sensitive data.
Complete Accountability With Detailed Usage Logs
Despite having the ability to establish highly specific permissions levels for each user and for each activity and area, you might still have some internal security concerns. As a small business owner, the last headache you need is to have to deal with white-collar crimes. Fortunately, QuickBooks® Online makes it easy for you and your online bookkeeper or accountant to keep close tabs on all of the data in your system.
QuickBooks® has an Always-On Activity Log, which provides you with a comprehensive and complete record of all activities by all users. You’ll even be able to see when users have logged into the app. The Audit Trail feature provides you with a detailed history of all modifications for every transaction. Furthermore, neither of these security features can be turned off by users.
All of these security features combined offer peace of mind for small business owners.
When you’re ready to make the switch to QuickBooks®, it’s time to contact a QuickBooks® expert at Accounting Meister. We offer a free, 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to all of our new and prospective clients, giving you the opportunity to get your most pressing questions answered and learn how QuickBooks® can benefit your business. Contact our North Port, Florida office today. We’re pleased to serve business owners nationwide.
