Are You Backing Up Your Clients' Cloud Accounting Data? Your Reputation Depends On It

What Happens When Your Clients Find Out You’re Not?

A 2015 poll by the International Association of Privacy Professionals found that only 15% of users read Terms of Service agreements in full. Another 15% skim them. The remaining 70%? They don’t read them at all.

Most clients assume their accountant or bookkeeper is on top of everything—including data protection. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: many professionals are not backing up their clients’ cloud accounting data. And when clients find out, the real damage isn’t just data loss—it’s broken trust.

Why Clients Might Find Out (and Why That Matters)

You might think, "they'll never know," but outages, errors, and data loss happen. And when they do, it becomes obvious who was prepared and who wasn’t. Here’s what you should know:

• - Your cloud platform provider does not take responsibility for the data you input. This is clearly stated in their Terms of Service.
• - You are encouraged to back up your own data—that responsibility falls on you, not the platform.
• - Service outages are common, even on major platforms. You can check histories for services like QuickBooks and Xero at:
• - https://downdetector.com/status/quickbooks-intuit/
• - https://status.xero.com/history

In short: it’s not a matter of *if* a failure will happen, but *when*.

What You Should Be Doing as a Compliant, Security-Conscious Accountant

As data protection standards and privacy laws tighten globally, backing up cloud accounting data is quickly becoming a best practice for compliance—especially under cybersecurity guidelines like ISO 27001, SOC 2, and various regional legislation.

• Make Data Backup and Restore Part of Your App Stack

  Whether you're a solo bookkeeper or mid-sized firm, integrating automated, secure backup tools into your workflow is key to operational continuity and professional credibility.

• Know How Fast You Can Recover

  Speed matters. In a crisis, the faster you can restore your client’s data, the more trust you retain. Read more on recovery time expectations here: https://wowzerbackupandrestore.com/2023/01/03/why-just-having-a-backup-of-your-cloud-accounting-data-is-not-enough/

• Get Ahead of Regulatory Changes

  Governments and industry bodies are increasingly holding professionals accountable for data handling practices. Don't wait until compliance requirements catch up—be proactive.

Will Clients Leave If They Find Out?

Maybe not immediately—but your vulnerability increases. Even loyal clients may reconsider if a second issue occurs, or if a competitor offers a better service level that includes automated data protection. Once trust is cracked, it's hard to repair.

Don’t Be the Last One to Upgrade Your Security

The future of bookkeeping and accounting includes cloud data protection as standard. Don’t get left behind.

Start protecting your clients—and your reputation—today.

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