a Feast of Holiday Metaphors…for IT Nerds

Just like the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, cyber threats march through the digital landscape in a predictable procession. This holiday season, let's identify the "floats" you need to watch for and how to keep your organization safe.

The Phishing Float

Much like those oversized balloon characters, phishing emails float into inboxes looking festive and harmless. Holiday-themed messages about shipping delays, special promotions, or e-cards are designed to catch you off guard when you're distracted by turkey preparations. Train your team to scrutinize sender addresses, hover over links before clicking, and report suspicious emails immediately.

The Ransomware Marching Band

Ransomware attacks often strike during holidays when IT teams are short-staffed and response times are slower. Like a marching band that stops the parade, ransomware can halt your entire operation. Ensure your backup systems are tested & accessible, as well as verify that your incident response plan includes holiday contact procedures.

The Supply Chain Sleigh

Third-party vendors are the sleigh riders of your parade—essential but potentially risky. Before the holiday rush, review vendor access permissions and ensure their security practices meet your compliance requirements. One compromised vendor can pull your entire organization into a breach.

The Password Turkey Trot

Weak passwords are like undercooked turkey—a recipe for disaster. As employees travel and work remotely during Thanksgiving, enforce multi-factor authentication and remind staff never to use public Wi-Fi without a VPN.

Stay Vigilant This Season

The best way to enjoy the holidays? Know that your cybersecurity measures are as reliable as grandma's stuffing recipe. Regular security awareness training, updated patches, and proactive monitoring ensure the only parade you're watching is the one on TV.

To help you stay compliant, we have created the IT Compliance Checklist for CPAs. This is the comprehensive checklist you need to identify issues, fix them, and build compliance BEFORE your next audit.

If you have any questions or need further explanation, this checklist comes with a 30 minute consult to personalize this checklist to your firm.

STAYING COMPLIANT -IT Compliance Checklist for CPAs

Nerdworks Services, LLC specializes in helping accounting firms and other compliance-driven companies navigate remote work's complexities while maintaining compliance and supervision standards through collaborative consulting, infrastructure design, IT management, training, and ongoing support.

Nerdworks Services, LLC | 1901 Central Drive, Suite 401, Bedford, Texas 76021 | 682-324-9360 | website:https://nerdworks.services/ email:[email protected]