Tech's top 10: security, document management hot issues for 2005.

• Author: Kepczyk, Roman H.
• Position: TECH TRENDS

As technology continues its increasingly important role in how CPAs serve their clients, here are the top issues CPAs should watch for, according to the AICPA's 2005 Top Technologies survey.

The annual survey polled more than 300 participants, a 30 percent increase over the previous year.

1 Information Security

CPAs control a significant amount of financial information on their networks and this information could be extremely valuable if not protected.

Protection of financial information begins with procedures that lock down data to prevent unauthorized access. Changing passwords every six months (or less) and using screensaver passwords on workstations are minimum precautions. The latest network security patches should be installed, as well as firewalls.

Firms that do not have the personnel in house should work with an external network integrator or organizations that specializes in information security services.

2 Electronic Document Management

EDM describes the process by which firms capture, index, store, retrieve, search and otherwise manage digital documents.

Firms should capture information as it is introduced to them, whether through digital faxes, e-mail or scanning documents, for archival in a PDF or similar digital format. Organizations must standardize file-naming conventions and directory structures, such that it is easy for any firm member to not only properly name and store a document, but also to find them easily.

Document management applications store these documents and make them searchable by key words, incorporate workflow processes and include digital document destruction procedures.

3 Data Integration

This is how data from different applications can be connected to get more use out of the information or reduce time rekeying it.

For CPAs, this includes the automatic transfer of client information between practice management, audit engagement and tax applications, such that a change in one file flows through to the others.

While the databases within the various products may be managed with different architectures, the data fields are linked in such a way that changing one automatically transfers and updates the information at the other locations.

4 Spam

With the volume of spam increasing and the methods used by spammers to deliver e-mail becoming more sophisticated, firms must stay on top of anti-spam solutions.

The most likely anti-spam solution for medium to large organizations is having their e-mail screened by...