Accounting Firms’ Cybersecurity Confidence Is Outpacing Their Protections, Rightworks Survey Finds

Survey of more than 500 firms finds a disconnect between cybersecurity confidence and adoption of essential protections

NASHUA, N.H., Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accounting firms are increasingly confident in their cybersecurity, but new research from Rightworks reveals significant gaps in the key protections needed to safeguard sensitive financial and client data. Rightworks is the only intelligent cloud service provider and trusted advisor of purpose-built solutions for accounting firms and tax professionals.

The 2026 Accounting Firm Technology Survey, conducted among more than 500 accounting firms, found confidence in current security measures rises from 73% at the least modern firms to 92% at the most advanced. Yet only 44% of all firms can remotely wipe a lost or stolen device. Even among firms using layered device security such as multifactor authentication, just 43% have endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every device.

The least modern firms also reported the fewest cybersecurity incidents or breaches in the past year (5%, compared with 11% among the most advanced firms). That raises an important question for the profession: Do less modern firms have fewer incidents or weaker detection? Firms with more advanced monitoring are better positioned to identify threats, so some incidents at less modern firms may go unnoticed.

“When it comes to security, I don’t know what I don’t know,” said Lisa Dionisio, CPA, owner of Paxus CPA Group in Norman, Oklahoma. “There’s so many more threats out there than I’m even aware of.”

Outsourcing IT doesn’t necessarily close that gap, since not every provider offers the same level of monitoring. Jennifer Brook, partner at HighPoint CPAs in Laramie, Wyoming, saw this firsthand before her firm moved to Rightworks: “A lot of times our outsourced IT wouldn’t know there was something wrong until we called them.”

AI Is Making Cyberattacks Harder to Recognize

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

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.

Compliance Raises the Stakes

The risk isn’t only technical. Tax preparers are legally required to keep a written information security plan (WISP), and 81% of surveyed firms have one. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s amended Safeguards Rule, covered firms must also report certain breaches involving 500 or more consumers to the FTC within 30 days of discovery.

Accounting Firms Are Turning to Trusted Technology Partners

About two-thirds of all firms (68%) now rely on outside IT support in some form, and for firm leaders the benefit extends beyond technical protection to reducing the burden of managing IT. “I’m the boss, everything stops with me,” said Hal Allen, who has run Apex Financial Solutions of Utah for 12 years. “I have somebody I can rely on and consult with, and that’s looking out for me. That’s not my expertise. I’m a CPA. I’m not an IT specialist.”

“The security that Rightworks provides gives us peace of mind that our data and our clients’ data is secure,” Weidner said. “It helps me sleep better at night.”

But not every firm has made that move, and the divide closely aligns with firm maturity. Among the least modern firms, 61% still manage IT entirely in-house, compared to 11% of the most advanced firms. Without access to the specialized expertise needed to combat today’s evolving cyberthreats, these firms risk operating with a false sense of security.

“Firms feel more confident than ever, and that’s exactly the risk,” said Ian Williams, CEO of Rightworks. “Confidence isn’t the same as coverage. When fewer than half of firms can wipe a lost laptop, security can’t be something the most tech-savvy partner handles on the side. It’s a leadership decision.”

Three Cybersecurity Priorities 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.
  
  

Rightworks helps firms close these gaps with a portfolio of solutions built for the unique demands of the accounting profession, including Cloud Premier, Rightworks Total Security, Cloud Protect and WISP Compliance. Firms rely on Rightworks’ 24/7 monitoring, EDR, multifactor authentication and phishing simulations, backed by IT security experts who block 3.6 million threats each month. The result is a layered defense that keeps firms protected against an evolving threat landscape.

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.

About Rightworks

Obsessed with all things accounting, Rightworks is the preferred managed application and IT cloud service provider for 70,000+ businesses and accounting and tax firms. Our award-winning platform securely connects critical desktop and cloud applications and offers managed IT services, protecting everything from data to devices across all your offices. The result: unified applications, data, teams, and workflows, with full-service network management through one point of contact. Since 2002, innovation, unwavering commitment, and 24/7 support have earned us partnerships with market leaders and cultivated a loyal following within the Rightworks Community, the largest peer network for accounting professionals. Learn more: rightworks.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Media contact:

Gayle Nixon
gnixon@rightworks.com

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