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7 steps to a more enjoyable Self-Assessment season through greater practice security

16th Sep 2021
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This time we’re continuing our huge 77 steps to a more enjoyable Self-Assessment season journey with 7 steps that will help you find peace of mind when it comes to practice security.

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(We’ll be sharing these steps right up until December, so if you want to follow along with the series click here!)

15 - Check in with your clients

Consider including information about your practice’s security policies and about how your clients can contribute to their own data safety.

Remind them to reset passwords to online bookkeeping software, to send their data to you securely – eSigning solutions like MyDocSafe and DocuSign are good options – and to turn on multifactor authentication if it’s available.

Not only will this step give you peace of mind, your reputation with your clients will be bolstered by your proactive help.

We’ll explore more on client and practice management next time!

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16 - Review GDPR post-Brexit

Did you know that since Brexit, GDPR rules are now managed by UK law?

As part of exit legislation, the existing Data Protection Act and the requirements of the EU GDPR were merged to create a UK-specific set of rules.

Ahead of Self-Assessment season, take the chance to review the changes – per itgovernance.co.uk, you should consider “Article 30 records, privacy notices, DPIAs (data protection impact assessments), DSARs (data subject access requests) and documentation covering international data flows.”

The risk of getting GDPR wrong is already huge, and having issues in this area crop up during January is more stress than anyone needs! 

17 - Spring cleaning – in autumn

Tidy your database and clear your physical files. You’ll have a much easier time in January if you can work from a clean environment.

(It’s also worth taking a look at your workspace too – what clutter can you clear and how can you make it a place you can be happy with?)

A good spring clean this autumn will give you a far less cluttered path to January 31st!

18 - Create trust in your team

You’ll also need to check in with your team about their data security. As you did with your clients, ask your employees to reset passwords, turn on MFA and review their document management processes.

Create an environment of trust – humans make mistakes sometimes, but if you rule with fear those mistakes will be hidden and grow into a larger issue. Reassure your team that coming to you when they have mis-stepped is a safe and sensible option.

You’ll protect your reputation and have a happier team – win-win!

19 - Back (it up) to the future

Whether it’s human error or system failure, almost all of us have been glad of a backup at times.

And when your practice database in on the line, it’s critical to make regular backups. Think of it as saving your progress as you go on a grand scale. You know the feeling when you exit out of a spreadsheet without saving and realise all that hard work is gone? Losing practice data is like that times a thousand.

(And we know peace of mind is invaluable, which is why our Cloud databases are backed up automatically and regularly)

20 - Shred, shred, shred

Chances are you have a pile of letters, printouts and other hard-copies that’s been waiting to visit the shredder for a while.

Set yourself up in front of the TV and get it done. Some recommendations from the BTCSoftware team are:

  • Vigil – Paul, CBDO
  • Only Murders in the Building – Alex, Content Executive
  • This Is Us – Satinder, Head of Marketing

21 - Mitigate remote risks

If your employees are spending time working remotely, ensure there are no additional gaps in your security.

 

Next time

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