Posted by Grace Delaney | December 2025
Every January, I see the same pattern.
Accounting and tax firms across Metro Detroit, Southfield, and Southeast Michigan are gearing up for busy season. New clients. New staff. New deadlines.
At the same time, cybercriminals are doing their own planning.
They’re reviewing what worked last year.
They’re refining tactics that quietly created the most damage.
And they’re targeting firms with valuable financial data and limited time to react.
That’s why small and mid-sized accounting firms remain one of the most targeted industries for cybercrime.
Not because you’re careless.
Not because you’re behind.
But because you’re busy — and cyber liability exposure grows when protection isn’t simple, provable, and consistently enforced.
Let me walk you through the resolutions cybercriminals are setting — and how Detroit-area firms take themselves off that list.
Resolution #1: “I’ll Send Phishing Emails That Look Legitimate”
Phishing attacks don’t look fake anymore.
Today’s phishing emails:
- Are written with AI
- Use real vendor names
- Match your firm’s tone
- Arrive during high-pressure moments
January is perfect timing. Year-end closeouts, onboarding seasonal staff, and catching up after the holidays all create distractions.
Here’s what a modern phishing email often looks like:
“Hi [your name],
I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the right email for accounting? I’ve attached the revised copy.
Thanks,
[Actual vendor name]”
No urgency.
No threats.
Nothing that triggers alarms.
And that’s exactly why it works.
How accounting firms reduce cyber liability exposure
Phishing isn’t a technology problem — it’s a verification problem.
The firms that avoid business email compromise do three things consistently:
- Require out-of-band verification for any request involving money or credentials
- Use email security with impersonation protection, not just spam filtering
- Create a culture where staff are rewarded for verifying — not rushed for responding
Cyber liability drops when verification is part of the workflow, not dependent on instinct.
Resolution #2: “I’ll Impersonate Vendors — or Firm Leadership”
This is one of the most costly attack types for accounting and tax firms.
A vendor email claims their bank details changed.
A text message appears to come from a managing partner.
A voicemail sounds exactly like someone you trust.
Voice-cloning attacks now use publicly available audio from webinars, voicemail greetings, and videos. Criminals don’t need hacking skills — they need familiarity.
What actually prevents wire fraud and payment loss
Firms that protect themselves don’t rely on “knowing better.”
They rely on controls that always run:
- Bank account changes are verified using known contact information
- Payment requests require confirmation through established channels
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enforced on all finance and admin accounts
Cyber liability exposure isn’t reduced by trust.
It’s reduced by repeatable, documented safeguards.
Resolution #3: “I’ll Target Small Accounting Firms More Aggressively”
For years, attackers focused on large enterprises.
Then insurers tightened requirements.
Security matured.
Attacks became expensive and visible.
So criminals pivoted.
Instead of one large breach, they now execute dozens of smaller attacks — quietly — against professional firms with valuable data and limited internal security resources.
Accounting and tax firms are ideal targets because:
- You handle Social Security numbers and financial records
- You move money
- You rely heavily on email and cloud document exchange
- You don’t have a dedicated security team
The most dangerous assumption I hear from Detroit-area firms?
“We’re probably too small to be a target.”
That belief creates risk.
What actually works for small firms
You don’t need enterprise complexity.
You need baseline protections that insurers, regulators, and criminals all respect:
- MFA on all systems
- Endpoint protection with active monitoring
- Regular patching
- Tested backups, not assumed backups
Attackers move on when a firm isn’t easy.
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s resilience.
Resolution #4: “I’ll Exploit New Hires and Tax-Season Chaos”
January means onboarding seasonal staff.
New hires want to help.
They haven’t learned your internal rules yet.
They’re less likely to question authority.
That makes them prime targets.
Tax-season attacks ramp up quickly:
- W-2 data theft
- Payroll phishing
- Fake IRS communications
One common scenario I see:
An email impersonates firm leadership requesting copies of employee W-2s “for the accountant.”
Once sent, every employee’s personal data is compromised — and fraudulent tax returns are often filed before the victims even know.
How firms close this gap
- Security expectations are built into onboarding
- Clear rules exist: “We never send W-2s via email.”
- Verification is encouraged and reinforced
Cyber liability is often reduced by clear policies that actually run day-to-day.
Preventable Beats Recoverable — Every Time
Every firm eventually chooses between two paths.
Path One:
React after an incident. Emergency IT support. Downtime during busy season. Client notifications. Insurance disputes. Reputational damage.
Path Two:
Reduce cyber liability exposure before an incident occurs. Controls operate quietly. Staff know what to do. Proof is ready when insurers or clients ask.
Path Two costs less.
Disrupts less.
And keeps tax season moving.
You don’t install fire protection after the building burns.
You install it so nothing happens.
How Accounting Firms Quietly Ruin a Cybercriminal’s Year
A proactive IT and cyber liability partner helps firms:
- Monitor systems 24/7 to catch threats early
- Enforce access controls so one stolen password doesn’t expose everything
- Train staff on realistic, modern scams
- Require verification for payment and data requests
- Maintain and test backups so ransomware doesn’t halt operations
- Patch systems before vulnerabilities are exploited
This is prevention — not cleanup.
Take Your Accounting Firm Off the Target List
Cybercriminals are planning their year right now.
They’re counting on firms being stretched thin during busy season — unsure of what protections are actually in place.
Let’s change that.
In a short, focused Discovery Call, I’ll help you:
- Identify where your cyber liability exposure really exists
- Prioritize controls that matter for accounting and tax firms
- Understand what insurers and regulators actually expect
- Leave with a clear, realistic plan — not a sales pitch
No fear tactics.
No technical jargon.
Just clarity and proof.
Because the best New Year’s resolution for your firm
is making sure you’re never someone else’s easy win.
