In the first of a new series of articles, the Advancetrack team will look to debunk – or confirm – myths about the way in which outsourcing and offshoring accounting works.
We look at some of the popular ‘myths’ around security, outsourcing and offshoring.
Myth 1: ‘Data and our systems are not as secure with outsourcing as if we, as an accountancy firm, manage it ourselves in-house’
Sadly this is true in some cases, because of poor data security by some providers in the industry. However, the top providers (of which we include ourselves) have very sophisticated ways of managing access to client data. Those processes and systems are audited by external bodies – we use the BSI to audit us and provide accreditation.
Myth 2: ‘Data doesn’t have to leave the country when using an outsourcer in another country’
This is a myth. Some outsourcers might claim that, as they’ve logged onto your servers, data ‘hasn’t left the country’. But there is legal precedent that sets out when data can be viewed on a computer screen outside the UK then it ‘has left the country’.
Myth 3: ‘Outsourcers are GDPR compliant’
Sadly, again, this is (on the whole) a myth. The majority of outsourcers that claim to be GDPR compliant have little or no accreditations to prove that is the case. It’s also a bellwether of a lack of true concern about IT and data security. Advancetrack has been externally audited and accredited since 2013: check out our blog FAQ: Does outsourcing to India mean ‘GDPR compliance’?
Myth 4: ‘It’s difficult to gauge an outsourcer/offshorer’s security credentials’
Gauging security credentials requires a holistic approach, involving discussions, an understanding of the outsourcer’s operating model and approach to security, their security accreditations and speaking to existing clients. You may even want to visit their operations abroad. So, it’s not a myth to say it’s ‘difficult’… however it’s certainly not impossible and you should be able to gain assurance. Here at Advancetrack we think that externally-gained accreditations such as those from the BSI/ISO are a crucial box to tick.
