Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/36891
SECURITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 using portals eliminates the need to send complete documents as at achments in emails. It also alleviates several other pain points associated with emailing client information, such as encrypting files and creating, managing and communicating hundreds of passwords. Portals allow fi rms to store sensitive documents within a secure, personalized online space. Firms can then simply provide a link to a secure location where clients can log in and access current versions of their fi nancial documents at any time and from anywhere with an Internet connection. Email + Portals = Easy + Safe A key reason why portals are fast becoming a popular document delivery tool is their ease of use for clients. The newest document portals off er the best of both worlds: You can use your own email system to send emails to your clients, but send them a link to a document in a secure portal, rather than at ach the document itself to the email. T is can be as easy as sending a friend a link to an interesting article on the Web, but it is secure, auditable and compliant. Portals are also exceptionally secure, offering advanced, built-in security features. T ey require recipients to log in using a unique user ID and password to access documents. This ensures authentication and authorization in one fell swoop. Most portals also auto- matically provide an audit trail that enables administrators to view and set user permissions, track usage, and support automatic back up of data. Even bet er, portals teach your clients a safer way to communicate, as well — no more sending your firm sensitive information, like SSNs, via email. Everything can be exchanged in the portal. It’s a win-win. For sensitive documents, it’s important that you do this with a secure portal, which requires your clients have a username and password. While some portals let you share documents using “anonymous” links, whereby users are not required to have a username/ password, those links are not secure and are vulnerable to discovery over the Internet. T at’s why such products put these documents in a temporary CLASSIFIED CONTACT SANDRA BURNETT TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD 800-456-0864 EXT. 2105 AME Payroll 1-800-263-9455 www.amesoft.com 4Easy to use payroll for all 50 states. 4State and federal reports, W2, 1099, MICR, direct deposit. 4Networkable, unlimited companies and employees. 41 year unlimited tech support included. s 0REPARES 7 TRUST ACCOUNTING DELTA DATA, INC. (888) 760-8039 www.deltadatatrust.com 50 August 2011 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com &ORMS; s,IVEAND!FTER 4HE &ACT;0AYROLL s0AYROLL&ORMS;FORALL 3TATES s%LECTRONIC -AGNETIC&ORMS;&ILING; s)MPORTS1UICKBOOKS %XCEL #OMPETITORS s&REE;4ECHNICAL3UPPORT -YLL +LTV H[ ^^^ L[J JVT For more information, visit www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/company/10028044 folder that is deleted aſt er a short period of time, usually 30 days or less. You can password protect these documents for safety, but communicating the password over email is not safe, and access to these documents is not auditable. Keeping Up Firms have a lot to keep up with these days, and privacy and security of client data should be at the forefront. T e good news is that technology can make securing clients’ data easy. Portals provide a secure platform for exchanging sensitive information and fi les, alleviating fi rms of having to deal with time-con- suming document encryption, password creation and general management of a complex delivery process. Sending links to documents via email off ers clients a familiar communication channel, while leveraging secure portal technology. Portal technology is defi ned by built-in security and off ers one of the safest and most intuitive platforms for exchanging data and documents with clients. Why take the risk of breaching client privacy by sending documents via email when portals off er a solution with all the security and privacy functionality built in? The insecurities of email are complex. However, with advancements in cloud technologies like portals, the answer to this very real and very diffi cult issue has got en much simpler. You might also be interested in “6 Steps to an Effective Client Portal Strategy” at www.CPAPracticeAdvisor. com/10248304. Eric Pulaski, CEO and Founder of SmartVault Corporation With over 20 years of experience in network security systems and a focus on cloud computing, Eric founded SmartVault Corporation in November of 2007, and currently serves as the company’s Chief Executive Offi cer. Eric has made it his mission to deliver a simple, low-cost document management solution that uses cloud-based technology (low cost) but is centered around integration with applications customers already use, such as QuickBooks® (simple). Eric can be contacted at eric@smartvault.com. PRACTICAL RESOURCES CALL FOR DEMO! & Law f Developed for CP’ irms. A s