20080620 = Xcentric Top Ten IT Questions

Top Ten Questions For Your = IT=20 Manager
White Paper for = Managing=20 Partners
by Trey James,=20 Xcentric = (June 20,=20 2008)

Introduction
= Along=20 with managing your CPA practice comes the task of ensuring that = your=20 technology is positioned to minimize risk, create efficiencies for = your=20 staff, and keep you on the leading edge. To help you identify = whether you=20 have any exposures with your IT staff, platform, or operations, = ponder our=20 list of top-10 questions that should be posed to your IT = manager. If along the way, you = get a=20 response that concerns you, there may be reason to dig in a bit=20 further. IT may not = be fun to=20 you, but it=92s certainly one of the more critical foundational = components=20 of your firm=92s success.

1. =20 When=20 is the last time our firewall firmware was=20 updated?

Firewalls=20 are simply dedicated computers that perform a specific job, which = is to=20 protect the firm from outside attack via the Internet. Much like = your=20 other computers, firewalls need regular attention =96 they too = must be=20 upgraded to keep up with the newest exploits. If your firm=92s = firewall has not=20 been updated in the last 30-days, you may have a problem. Just ask your IT manager = when the=20 last time the firewall was updated and how often it=92s=20 done.

2. =20 How=20 often is the firm=92s network attacked from the Internet?=20

Alongside=20 the firewall, many firms are using a technology called an = Intrusion=20 Detection System (IDS) to actively monitor and thwart external=20 threats. A typical = firewall=92s=20 job is limited to blocking, rather than reporting. IDS can send reports = automatically=20 when threats have been detected. =20 Make sure that your IT manager has this capability. With security, it=92s = often what we=20 don=92t (or can=92t) see that hurts us.

3. =20 How=20 many security updates are missing on our SERVERS and = PCs?

Microsoft=20 works hard to resolve vulnerabilities in their software. Along = with=20 finding and fixing vulnerabilities, they also publish details of = the=20 exposure, brilliantly creating a checklist for any hacker to use. = Your=20 computers are the gateway to your client data files and could pose = the=20 greatest risk of exposing client data to the outside world. With hundreds of security = updates=20 being released by Microsoft every year, using an automated system = is the=20 only way to keep up -- especially if you have more than a handful = of=20 computers. Ask your = IT=20 manager to provide a list of missing updates, specifically per = server, per=20 desktop, and per laptop. =20 Hopefully they have this at their fingertips and won=92t = have to sit=20 at every machine to figure it out. =20

4. =20 Can=20 you prove that our backup is working? (and is it taken offsite = every=20 night?)

Office=20 fire? Flood? = Theft? Whew=85 not fun to think = about. Your firm=92s most = valuable asset,=20 aside from people, is your client data. It=92s all too easy to = expect that=20 the backup is running, but how can you know whether the backup was = truly=20 successful? And, = what good is=20 it if the backup was successful, but wasn=92t taken offsite? Review your IT = manager=92s backup=20 strategy document (notice we said =91document=92 =96 it should be = documented)=20 and show you proof that the backups are successful. Ask them to explain = where and how=20 the data is stored offsite. =20 Is there any risk created by the location where the tapes = are=20 stored? how are they transported? =20

If=20 you don=92t like what you find out, check into online backup, a = technology=20 that solves most of these concerns. =20

Read = more: Ten=20 Steps to the CPA=92s Perfect Backup Plan

5. =20 Can you show me the = documentation=20 for our network?

Plain=20 and simple, documentation is time consuming and it=92s a pain. = Things=20 frequently change and often there are several people making these = changes.=20 However, without=20 documentation your firm may be exposed to a single point of = failure =96 the=20 brain of the person managing your network. We often accuse IT = people of=20 resisting documentation because of job-security, and this may be = the case=20 from time to time, although we find that the average IT manager is = simply=20 too busy to keep up with it. Ask them if they are automating the=20 documentation=85 and if not, why not? There are some simple and = very=20 affordable tools out there that can help.

6. =20 What=20 would our recovery time be in the event of an office fire = resulting in=20 total data loss?

In=20 the unfortunate event that your office experiences a disaster (due = to fire=20 or any other disaster), it=92s important to have even a = rudimentary plan for=20 recovery. If = everything were=20 lost, what next? = How long=20 would the firm be out of commission? And, what steps would be = necessary to=20 recover? Most of these questions can be answered if your IT = manager has=20 invested time to do even a rudimentary level of disaster recovery=20 planning. Make sure = that you=20 have a documented plan of action to get your firm through such an=20 experience. =20

7. =20 What=20 are the top 3 business objectives for the firm? Objectives for the = IT=20 team?

Technology=20 should be used for the sake of the firm, with its mission and = objectives=20 in mind, and not simply for the sake of technology. Too often, the = person=20 or people managing the firm=92s technology have little or no = insight into=20 the vision and long term plans of the partners. We recommend = involving the=20 IT manager in the strategic planning process to keep them updated = on the=20 firm=92s strategic direction so they can properly align the = technology.=20 This can be done = best by=20 forming an IT committee and having quarterly or semi-annual = meetings to=20 discuss vision, mission, key objectives, and expectations.=20

8. =20 How=20 do you stay abreast of current technology issues and=20 trends?

Many=20 technologists enjoy collaborating with their peers about the = latest=20 trends, updates, and systems. Unfortunately, with the volume of = work to be=20 done on the average CPA firm=92s network, little time is left to = think, to=20 plan, or to test. And just as unfortunate, we expect that their=20 performance will be pristine =96 they should be able to see around = corners,=20 anticipate the issues and resolve them before they affect the = staff. They=20 should be able to avoid pitfalls altogether. No pressure. Ask yourself: =93Is it = practical to=20 ask an auditor to perform an audit to perfection, mitigating all = risk, and=20 in a timeframe that is under budget? =20 The answer should be yes, unless they only have an = opportunity to=20 do an audit once every three years. =20 How often does your IT manager get to practice by upgrading = your=20 network?

Eat=20 your own chili, man. = Reach=20 out. Give them = access to=20 outsourced experts that do this stuff every day. Make sure they = attend=20 industry conferences where IT and CPA-specific software best = practices are=20 discussed. Your network is very complex.. 5 to 6 times more = complex than=20 your average client. =20

Resources: =20 Association of Accounting=20 Administrators, AICPA = Tech,=20 BriForum

9. =20 If you had an = additional $100K to spend on IT, how would you use = it?

How exciting.. = $100K! I=92d hire more=20 help. =20 I=92d get some automated = systems. I=92d replace that 5-year old server, maybe add = some=20 redundancy in a couple areas. Can I peel off=20 a few bucks for a raise?

It=92s important to let = your IT=20 manager dream, because it=92s in dreaming that they are allowed to = think=20 outside the box. And it=92s this=20 kind of thinking that will differentiate you from your peer firms, = make=20 you more attractive to new recruits, get more creative on how you = staff,=20 create flexibility in where you work; maybe even create another = business=20 line. =20 Lemons to lemonade.

10. =20 What scares = you most=20 about our network technology?

=93That=92s a pretty = gutsy, wide-open=20 question to ask,=94 you might say. Think again - this thought = crosses your=20 IT manager=92s mind all of the time and they may just not know the = best way=20 to go about getting you involved. Hopefully this=20 question will give you insight into things that may be most = important to=20 ensuring your firm=92s livelihood. Schedule some=20 time to get enlightened about your technology. Com=92on, IT=92s=20 not that bad. CPA=92s have just as many TLAs (three letter=20 acronyms). =20 Whatever scares your IT manager will = scare you=20 too.

Conclusion

If any of these = questions give you=20 or your IT manager reason for pause, you too should pause, take a = deep=20 breath and prepare to dig in. You may be=20 exposed. You may not, but how will you know unless you = ask? Happy digging!

About = Xcentric
Based in Alpharetta, GA, Xcentric = provides=20 peace of mind to CPA firms nationwide through highly leveraged = network=20 technology solutions. Xcentric=92s complete network hosting model, = Xcentric=20 Gray Matter=99, allows CPA firms to rid themselves of IT = management=20 headaches related to server upgrades, administration, IT staffing, = and=20 application updates. Xcentric provides CPA-specific technology = guidance,=20 infrastructure deployment, and accounting application focused = managed=20 services. Founded in 2002, Xcentric focuses on accounting firms = and=20 currently serves over 180 firms across the nation.

Trey=20 James is the President and CEO of Xcentric, LLC, a technology = consulting=20 group that specializes in network technology consulting, hosting, = and=20 implementation for accounting firms. He can be reached at = 678.297.0066=20 x117 or at tjames@xcentricgroup.com.

=20

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Phoenix, AZ 85044-4531
Phone: (480) 706-1728
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