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3 Cybersecurity Priorities Before Tax Season

Cpapracticeadvisor • October 30, 2026

Many accounting firm partners say they are confident in their cybersecurity, but new research shows they may be over confident. The data actually points to some significant gaps in the key protections firms use to safeguard sensitive financial and client data.

The 2026 Accounting Firm Technology Survey from Rightworks , which had respondents from more than 500 accounting firms, found that firm confidence in their security measures is as high as 73% at the least modern firms, and 92% at the most advanced firms. Still, only 44% of all firms can remotely wipe a lost or stolen device. Even among firms using layered device security such as multifactor authentication, only 43% have endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every device. Rightworks is a provider of firm management, security technology, and IT solutions for accounting firms and tax professionals.

Three Key Data Steps to Take Before Tax Season:

Put EDR on every device. Among firms with layered device security, only 43% have it everywhere.

Make sure you can remotely wipe a lost laptop or phone. Just 44% of firms can today.

Test staff with phishing simulations. Only 58% of firms that train staff run them.

“For accounting firms, these threats are no longer theoretical,” said Anjan Bagchee, Chief Information Security Officer at Rightworks and former CISO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He added that phishing emails have shifted from bad grammar and awkward sentences to polished messages that appear legitimate, a sign of generative AI.

Practitioners agree. Alex Weidner, President and Managing Partner of Rudler PSC in Northern Kentucky, said AI is “being used for bad, and trying to get into and hack our data,” with more attempts “over the last 12 months than we have the prior five years.”

Human error is a leading cause of breaches, yet only 58% of firms that provide cybersecurity training run phishing simulations, leaving a potential gap between awareness and real-world preparedness.

The full survey findings are available at rightworks.com/resources/becoming-modern-firm . Rightworks executives and firm leaders featured in this release are available for interviews.

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Tags: cybersecurity , data breach , data security , Firm Management , hackers , IT , Rightworks , Technology

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Accounting Firms Overconfident in Cybersecurity Measures, Survey Reveals A recent survey by Rightworks of over 500 accounting firms indicates a significant gap between confidence in cybersecurity measures and actual protections in place. Confidence levels range from 73% among the least modern firms to 92% among the most advanced. However, only 44% of firms can remotely wipe lost or stolen devices, and just 43% have endpoint detection and response (EDR) on all devices. The survey also highlights that human error remains a vulnerability, with only 58% of firms conducting phishing simulations despite training. Anjan Bagchee, CISO at Rightworks, noted that phishing attacks have become more sophisticated, leveraging generative AI to create convincing messages. The findings suggest that many firms may be unaware of the true extent of their vulnerabilities, raising concerns about their preparedness for the upcoming tax season. 2 sources 43

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3 Cybersecurity Priorities Before Tax Season

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