Accounting and tax firms hold Social Security numbers, bank details, payroll records and years of returns for every client, and they hold them in a predictable rhythm. Attackers know that January through April is when staff are rushed, seasonal hires are logging in for the first time and clients are emailing documents at all hours. AI-written phishing that impersonates the IRS, a client or a software vendor makes that pressure easier to exploit.
Regulation adds a second reason to act. IRS Publication 5708 explains that tax and accounting professionals are treated as financial institutions under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and that a requirement of the FTC Safeguards Rule is implementing and maintaining a written information security plan, or WISP. Preparers are also asked to confirm they have a plan when renewing their PTIN. A WISP for tax preparers is only useful if the controls it describes actually exist, which is where a capable provider earns its fee.
The ten companies below focus on accounting firm cybersecurity, either as specialists in the profession or as security and IT firms with dedicated accounting programs. We compared their WISP support, hosting and access controls, monitoring and tax-season readiness. For a wider view of the market, see our list of top cybersecurity companies.
| Company | Headquarters | Best For | Core Services |
| Rightworks | Nashua, USA | Firms that want hosted accounting apps and security from one vendor | Cloud hosting, managed IT, Total Security, WISP compliance, SaaS access management |
| Verito | Wilmington, USA | Tax preparers that need a custom WISP quickly, with or without hosting | Custom WISP, dedicated hosting, QuickBooks hosting, managed IT |
| Cetrom | Columbia, USA | Firms that want an accounting-focused MSP with US-based engineers | Managed IT, cloud hosting, managed Microsoft 365, Zero Trust security, vCIO |
| Ace Cloud Hosting | Pompano Beach, USA | Firms that want hosted tax software with a 24/7 SOC | Tax and accounting app hosting, virtual desktops, managed security, WISP services |
| Visory | Chesterfield, USA | Firms that want managed security plus vCISO leadership | WISP services, managed security, awareness training, vCISO, app hosting |
| STACK Cybersecurity | Livonia, USA | Firms that need a WISP gap assessment backed by real controls | WISP development, Safeguards Rule gap analysis, risk assessments, managed IT |
| InterDataLink | New York, USA | New York metro firms that need tax-season coverage | Managed IT, WISP and GLBA compliance, EDR and MDR, secure client portals |
| Nerds Support | Miami, USA | Firms that want a SOC 2 audited cloud platform with yearly WISP updates | Managed IT, cloud SaaS platform, tax software hosting, WISP creation |
| Black Talon Security | Katonah, USA | Firms that keep their IT provider and add a security specialist | Cyber prevention, incident response, awareness training, vCISO |
| CMIT Solutions | Austin, USA | Firms that want local, owner-operated IT support with WISP help | Managed IT, WISP development, monitoring, compliance support |
Rightworks, formerly Right Networks, has served the accounting profession since 2002 and is best known for hosting QuickBooks Desktop and tax applications in the cloud with 24/7 support, automated updates and backups. Its catalog has grown into managed IT, access to thousands of app integrations and Spark AI, a secure AI assistant built for accounting workflows.
Security is a core part of the offering rather than an add-on. Rightworks sells Total Security for enhanced protection of firm data, Business Security as a managed service for smaller firms, a custom WISP Compliance service and SaaS access management that gives staff one secure login across the apps the firm uses. For a firm whose biggest exposure is scattered logins across tax software, portals and cloud apps, consolidating access and hosting with one provider removes a lot of risk. It is a natural fit for small and midsize firms that already run QuickBooks Desktop or desktop tax software and want hosting, a written plan and controls handled together.
Verito is a Wilmington, Delaware provider of dedicated hosting, QuickBooks hosting and managed IT for tax preparers, CPAs and accounting firms, along with a bundled service called VeritComplete. Firms can run their applications on a private cloud server and work from anywhere, and the company displays an AICPA SOC for Service Organizations badge and runs a public trust center.
Its standout service for this list is a custom written information security plan that does not require Verito hosting. According to its site, the WISP is scoped in a 30-minute call, delivered within five business days, aligned with IRS Publication 4557 and FTC Safeguards Rule documentation and priced at $999 per year per firm with unlimited revisions. That makes Verito a practical choice for solo preparers and small firms that know they need a plan before PTIN renewal and want a clear price. Firms that also want to move off local servers can add hosting and managed IT later from the same vendor.
Cetrom is a managed IT and cybersecurity provider based in Columbia, Maryland, that focuses on accounting firms. Its services include managed IT, cloud hosting, managed Microsoft 365, on-site IT, virtual CIO guidance and cybersecurity awareness training, with 24/7 US-based support from engineers who know accounting software.
On the security side, Cetrom lists managed security to protect sensitive data and support regulatory compliance, AI-driven threat detection, a Zero Trust security model, regular backups with documented recovery planning and tested disaster recovery. Zero Trust is a good fit for accounting firms, where remote staff, seasonal hires and partners all need different levels of access to client files. Having support engineers who already understand tax and accounting applications also shortens the time it takes to fix problems during filing season. Cetrom suits small and midsize firms that want one partner to run IT, hosting and security without building an internal team.
Ace Cloud Hosting, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, hosts accounting and tax applications such as QuickBooks Desktop, Sage, Lacerte, Drake and Thomson Reuters products, and offers Citrix-powered virtual desktops, managed IT, backup, disaster recovery and platform migrations. It also publishes extensive guidance on WISP requirements and offers a written information security plan service.
The company holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and states compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS. Its security stack includes multi-factor authentication, firewalls, AI-powered endpoint security, ransomware protection, 45-day automated backups and a 24/7 security operations center through its managed security service. For a tax practice, moving applications and client data off local PCs into a monitored, certified hosting environment closes many of the gaps a Safeguards Rule review would flag. Ace Cloud Hosting is a good fit for small and midsize firms that want hosting, monitoring and a written plan from one provider.
Visory, headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, provides managed IT, managed security and application hosting for accounting and financial firms, including QuickBooks and tax application hosting. It lists tax and accounting compliance support tied to IRS Publication 4557 and the FTC Safeguards Rule, and it helps firms build a written information security plan as the foundation of their security program.
What makes Visory useful is the layer above the plan. Alongside the WISP, it offers managed security, security awareness training and testing, and virtual CISO services. That combination suits firms that have outgrown a part-time IT contractor and need someone to own security decisions, review vendors, run phishing tests and keep the plan current as the firm adds staff or offices. A vCISO also helps when a larger business client or a cyber insurer sends a security questionnaire. Visory is a strong option for midsize CPA firms and wealth practices that want security leadership without a full-time hire.
STACK Cybersecurity is an IT and cybersecurity firm in Livonia, Michigan that works across IT support, cybersecurity, AI and compliance. For tax and accounting firms, it develops, reviews and maintains written information security plans that address the FTC Safeguards Rule.
Its approach starts with a gap analysis between the firm’s current state and what the rule requires, then builds supporting policies and procedures and implements the technical controls that back up the written plan. It also offers formal cybersecurity risk assessments. That sequence matters, because a template WISP that describes multi-factor authentication or encryption the firm does not actually use can be worse than no plan at all. STACK is a good choice for firms in Michigan and the Midwest, and for any practice that has a WISP on file but suspects it no longer matches how the office really works. Its mix of compliance and hands-on IT means one team can find the gaps and close them.
InterDataLink is a New York City managed IT provider serving businesses in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island and Northern New Jersey, with accounting firms as one of its focus sectors. Its accounting program covers managed IT, print and scanner management, secure client portal setup for tools such as SafeSend, SmartVault, Suralink and ShareFile, and support for UltraTax, Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, CCH ProSystem fx and QuickBooks.
The security detail is unusually specific. InterDataLink lists IRS WISP and GLBA Safeguards Rule compliance, including building the plan, implementing its controls and documenting evidence, along with multi-factor authentication on all preparer accounts, EDR and MDR, immutable backups tested before tax season, same-day deprovisioning of departing staff and incident response that includes IRS notification protocols. It also aligns record retention with New York tax law and IRS Publication 4557. For New York metro firms, that level of profession-specific planning is hard to find.
Nerds Support is a Miami managed IT and cybersecurity company founded more than 20 years ago by CEO Scott Richman. Its accounting program provides managed IT support and a cloud platform that lets staff reach tax and accounting software such as Lacerte, QuickBooks, CCH and Sage from any device, and it is a certified QuickBooks hosting partner.
For security, Nerds Support lists multi-factor authentication, web filtering, endpoint device validation, audit tracking, business continuity and disaster recovery, and seven-year file retention. It says it is audited yearly for SOC 2, and it creates written information security plans with yearly updates, which keeps the document aligned with changes in staff and software. Audit tracking and device validation are particularly useful for firms with remote preparers, because they show who accessed client data and from which machine. Nerds Support suits small and midsize firms, especially in South Florida, that want hosting, compliance documentation and managed security in one package.
Black Talon Security is a cybersecurity firm based in Katonah, New York, that serves accounting and financial firms alongside healthcare, legal and small business clients. Its services are grouped into cyber prevention, cyber incident response, cyber awareness training and virtual CISO support, along with the EAGLEi platform for cyber risk management and vulnerability visibility.
Because Black Talon does security rather than general IT, it works well for firms that are happy with their current IT provider but need a specialist to find vulnerabilities, train staff and respond if an incident happens. Accounting firms are frequent targets of business email compromise and credential theft during tax season, and having an outside team that can investigate and contain an incident quickly limits both client harm and regulatory exposure. Its vCISO service can also own the security program that a written information security plan describes. It is a good fit for small and midsize firms that want an independent security layer on top of existing IT.
CMIT Solutions is a managed IT provider headquartered in Austin, Texas, that operates through locally owned offices across the United States. Its services for CPA and financial firms include developing, implementing and maintaining a written information security plan tailored to the firm, making sure systems and security protocols follow the plan, and ongoing proactive monitoring and management of IT.
The local model is the main reason to consider CMIT. Many accounting firms want someone who can come to the office, meet the partners and handle on-site hardware, rather than a purely remote provider. Because each office is run locally, the depth of accounting experience varies by location, so ask your nearest office about its work with tax practices and request references from firms of a similar size. For small firms outside major metro areas, CMIT can be one of the easier ways to get a written plan, monitoring and compliance support from a provider that is physically nearby.
The right provider depends on how your firm runs its software, how many people work remotely and how much security leadership you need. These questions help separate a real security program from a template.
A written information security plan should describe your real controls, people and vendors. Ask whether the provider interviews staff, reviews your systems and implements missing controls, or simply fills in a template. Also confirm who owns the document and how often it is reviewed.
The FTC Safeguards Rule expects a named person responsible for the program, risk assessments, access controls, encryption, multi-factor authentication, staff training, vendor oversight and an incident response plan. Ask the provider to map each of its services to those items, and to explain which ones remain your responsibility.
Hosting can simplify backups, patching and remote access, but it moves risk to the host. If you are considering hosting, ask about certifications such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001, multi-factor authentication, data retention and how quickly you can get your data back if you leave.
Ask about after-hours support in deadline weeks, onboarding and offboarding for seasonal staff, and how backups are tested before January. Phishing that imitates the IRS and clients spikes during filing season, so ask what email security and training are included.
Ask for the provider’s incident response process, including who investigates, how quickly it starts and whether it includes guidance on notifying the IRS and clients. Our guide to data breach response plans and the small business cybersecurity checklist are useful references before that conversation.
Cybersecurity for CPA firms is now part compliance and part operations. The FTC Safeguards Rule requires a written information security plan, but the plan only protects clients if multi-factor authentication, monitoring, backups and training are actually in place and maintained.
Firms that want hosting and security together should start with Rightworks, Ace Cloud Hosting, Cetrom or Nerds Support. Firms that mainly need a credible WISP should look at Verito, STACK Cybersecurity or Visory, and those that want an outside security team on top of current IT should talk to Black Talon Security. Whichever you choose, ask for specifics in writing before tax season starts.