Yes, accountants need security awareness training and phishing tests. Your team is the front line, and most successful attacks start with a person, not a computer. Short, regular training combined with simulated phishing emails measurably reduces the chance of someone clicking the wrong link or authorising the wrong payment, which is exactly how the costly incidents begin.
You can have excellent technical security and still be caught out by one convincing email. Training closes that gap. Here’s what good awareness training looks like for a practice.
1. Why it matters for accountants
Accountants move money and hold sensitive data, so they’re a prime target for phishing and payment fraud. Criminals now use AI to write convincing, personalised emails, so you can’t rely on spotting bad spelling. Training teaches your team to question the request itself, which is what keeps them safe.
2. Training and testing go together
The strongest approach pairs short training videos with simulated phishing emails sent to your team. The training builds the knowledge, and the safe, harmless tests show who’s putting it into practice and where a little extra help is needed. Done regularly, it keeps everyone’s instincts sharp.
3. Short and regular beats long and rare
People don’t remember a one-off annual session. Bite-sized training spread through the year, with the occasional simulated phishing test, keeps security front of mind without taking much time away from client work.
4. It supports your wider security
Awareness training works alongside your technical controls and is often expected as part of Cyber Essentials and by cyber insurers. Together, trained people and strong controls give you a far better defence than either alone.
A real example: a London music accountancy firm
We support a London music and entertainment accountancy firm whose whole team works securely from home with no disruption, running CCH, document management (FYI and INVU), QuickBooks and payroll software day to day. Security is layered with ThreatLocker application allowlisting, access restricted by location, managed email filtering and proactive patching, so the practice stays focused on a busy, growing client book instead of on IT. When something does come up, it’s resolved on a single phone call.
For most music and entertainment accountancy firms, this sits within fully managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month, billed per user, with secure remote access and the protection client data needs built in.
Why London music accountancy firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including London music and entertainment accountancy firms, and we know the software your practice runs every day: CCH, QuickBooks, payroll software (including QTAC), and document management with FYI and INVU. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support practices across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want to turn your team into a strong line of defence? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll set up training and testing that fits your practice.