Burbank IT has launched a dedicated IT service for Burbank accounting and tax firms, built around the security controls and breach reporting the FTC Safeguards Rule requires of tax preparers.
BURBANK, Calif. – Burbank IT, a managed IT services provider in Burbank, has launched a dedicated IT service for local accounting and tax firms, citing the security and reporting requirements the Federal Trade Commission’s Safeguards Rule places on tax preparers. The service focuses on the controls the rule expects covered firms to have in writing and in practice, including multi-factor authentication, encryption, activity logging, regular testing and incident response planning.
Details of the service are available at https://manageditservicesburbank.com/managed-it-support-services-for-accounting-firms-in-burbank-ca/, where Burbank IT outlines its managed IT support for accounting firms.
What the FTC Safeguards Rule Requires of Accounting Firms
The Safeguards Rule, which implements the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, applies to businesses the FTC treats as financial institutions. The agency’s Safeguards Rule compliance guidance lists tax preparation firms among its examples, which means a small CPA practice or seasonal tax office can be covered in the same way as a lender or an investment advisor.
Under the rule, a covered firm must keep a written information security program suited to its size, its activities and the sensitivity of the data it holds. The FTC describes nine required elements, among them naming a Qualified Individual to oversee the program, completing a written risk assessment, training staff, overseeing service providers and reporting on the program in writing at least once a year to the firm’s leadership.
The technical requirements are specific. Firms must encrypt customer information both when it is stored and when it travels over external networks, require multi-factor authentication for anyone accessing customer information, log the activity of authorized users, and securely dispose of customer data within two years of last using it unless there is a business or legal reason to keep it. Firms that do not monitor their systems continuously must run annual penetration tests and vulnerability scans every six months. Firms that hold information on fewer than 5,000 consumers are exempt from some, but not all, of these provisions.
IRS Reminders Keep Security Plans in Focus
The IRS has reinforced the rule through the Security Summit, a partnership of the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry. In August 2026, the IRS and its Security Summit partners reminded tax professionals that they are legally required to maintain a Written Information Security Plan, or WISP, and to review, test and update it regularly. The IRS also publishes a WISP template aimed at smaller practices in Publication 5708.
For many small firms, the difficulty is less about understanding the requirement than carrying it out. A WISP describes controls that someone has to configure, monitor and document across laptops, Microsoft 365 accounts, tax software, file-sharing tools and client portals, often while the firm’s own staff are focused on client deadlines.
Why Burbank IT Built a Service for Accounting Firms
Burbank IT said those requirements led it to organize its accounting firm support as a distinct service rather than handling those clients under its general support plans. Accounting work also places particular demands on technology. Firms handle Social Security numbers, bank details, payroll records and financial statements every day, and they rely on a mix of QuickBooks, tax preparation software, document management systems and cloud applications. Downtime close to a filing deadline is costly, and email remains a common route for payment fraud and impersonation attempts aimed at staff.
The company already provides cybersecurity support to Burbank businesses across several industries. The accounting firm service applies that work to the documentation, testing and oversight the Safeguards Rule calls for, for practices that need those controls in place without hiring internal IT staff.
How the Service Lines Up With the Rule
According to Burbank IT, the service covers multi-factor authentication across email, remote access and accounting applications; encryption for devices and file transfers; endpoint protection and security patching; monitoring and activity logging; backups with regular restore testing; staff security awareness training; and support for each firm’s incident response plan. The accounting firm service runs alongside the company’s broader managed IT services in Burbank, which include IT support, cybersecurity and IT consulting.
Burbank IT can also act as the technical resource behind a firm’s WISP, helping document the controls in place and the testing performed. Responsibility for the program stays with the firm itself: the FTC’s guidance notes that a business relying on an outside provider must still designate a senior employee to supervise that provider.
A 30-Day Clock for Breach Reporting
A 2023 amendment to the Safeguards Rule added a reporting obligation that took effect in May 2024. Covered firms must notify the FTC as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days after discovery, when a security event involves the unauthorized acquisition of unencrypted information about at least 500 consumers. The FTC notes that these reports may be made public.
For an accounting practice with a large tax client list, a single compromised mailbox or lost laptop could approach that threshold. Because the reporting trigger centers on unencrypted customer information, consistent encryption is one of the more practical steps a firm can take before an incident occurs.
With the 2027 filing season a few months away, Burbank IT plans to focus its accounting firm work on helping local practices review their security plans, close gaps in multi-factor authentication and encryption, and test their backups before workloads peak.
About Burbank IT
Burbank IT provides managed IT services and technology support for businesses in Burbank, California. The company’s service model combines remote IT management with access to local support, allowing technology issues to be addressed according to the type of assistance required.
Through its Burbank presence, Burbank IT works with organizations seeking ongoing support for the technology their employees and operations depend on, including accounting and tax firms, law firms and healthcare organizations. Additional information about the company and its services is available at manageditservicesburbank.com.
Contact Information
Burbank IT – Managed IT Services Burbank
303 N Glenoaks Blvd Suite 200B, Burbank, CA 91502
Phone: +1 (818) 659-9786
Website: manageditservicesburbank.com
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