CPA Technology Blog

CPA Practice Advisor Presents 2013 Innovation Awards

CPA Practice Advisor presented their annual innovation awards last night in Los Angeles.  The 2013 winners are:

• CCH Axcess
• Doc.It Suite
• NetClient CS mobile app from Thomson Reuters
• Intuit’s QuickBooks Online for iPad
• SmartVault for QuickBooks Online.

Five finalists for the Innovation Awards were also recognized:

• ADP Smart Compliance
• AICPA Navigator from CPA2Biz
• BNA Income Tax Planner Web system
• CertCapture from Avalara
• Confirmation.com from Capital Confirmation.

More is available in Isaac O’Bannon’s story here.

(I am the technology editor for The CPA Practice Advisor).

It’s Time for Two Factor Authentication, SaaS Vendors. NOW, not later.

You’ve heard about the security issues at a number of organizations in the last few weeks.  Thankfully, there haven’t been any breaches at software companies who serve professional accountants (except maybe for Evernote – although I don’t know that I would put HIPAA or taxpayer data in that service).  One of the important things that is coming out of this is that major software vendors like Evernote and Google are planning to implement a security approach called “Two Factor Authentication”.  While I won’t go into much detail on how it works (although there’s a good Wikipedia article here), the basics are as follows:

Security tokens, like the RSA SecurID above, have a formula which generates a new six digit code every minute that is used as a one time password.

There are three basic ways to validate someone’s identity

• Something they know (username, password, PIN, etc.)
• Something they have (cell phone, RSA token, USB key, etc.)
• Something they are (biometric identification like fingerprinting, face identification, or iris scans).

Historically, we’ve used only one factor of authentication – a username and password – to access most online systems.  While this is adequate for some information types, the sophistication of phishing attacks and other techniques used by the “bad guys” requires a more sophisticated approach to security.  Two factor authentication normally requires users to validate their credentials to two servers – one which controls the username and password, and a second which validates that they have a particular device or item through a one time password.

I’ve used a number of two factor authentication devices in my career, including:

• Tokens, like the one shown above or those used by Scorpion Software’s AuthAnvil for Windows Server.
• SMS validation from online services, where a code is sent to my cell phone (another solution is Microsoft’s PhoneFactor)
• A USB device called a Yubikey from a company called Yubico which has been on a security podcast I listen to weekly which inputs a one time password into a computer.
• SmartCards, along with the readers built into my HP Enterprise laptops.
• Fingerprint scanners on laptops

All of the devices worked well, and I still use some of them to authenticate to many services.

One important point is that the use of factors other than passwords (something you know) is not a panacea.  Use of any of the items listed above in lieu of a password doesn’t accomplish anything.  The real benefit comes from using these tools in ADDITION to a username and a password.  Even if a person with bad intent knew your username and password, they would be screened out by the second factor, whether it is biometrics (fingerprint, iris, or face) or a device you have (token, cell phone, smart card, USB key).  Just like high security installations have more than one layer of security, you want the same layers of security verifying that you are really you online.

The ugly reality of the accounting profession is that a significant breach would undermine the confidence that others have in the profession, and could send us back to the ‘90s with some technologies used in business today.  It’s hard enough to be a small business in our economy without having to deal with concerns about security of data. 

It’s time for two factor authentication with online services, people.  Ask your vendors about their support for it, and look for opportunities to protect your data with these types of authentication regimes.  It’s time for this technology – we can’t wait for some practitioner to lose their house over an online information breach to deal with this significant issue.

SmartVault is Now Available for QuickBooks Online Users

I was notified by SmartVault that their product is now available for QuickBooks Online.  Details from the Company’s announcement are as follows:

Pricing plans start at $9/month – Free Trial Through June 1, 2013 – Only on the Intuit AppCenter!

Learn more and start a free trial!

SmartVault is the only add-on for QuickBooks Online users that delivers seamless, integrated document management right inside QuickBooks Online! Attach and view documents directly to more than 20 different entries in QuickBooks Online including bills, invoices and customer records – so you are always audit-ready, and your files are stored in one central location. Your documents can be accessed directly from QuickBooks Online or from any web browser or mobile device.

Extended Free Trial now available from the Intuit AppCenter. Come check out the new kid!

http://appcenter.intuit.com/smartvault

Press Release: Ziptr v2.2 improves user experience and eases adoption, no download required

Offers automated, all-in-one solution for secure communication and confidential file sharing, storage and synchronization.

Burlington, Mass. - February 20, 2013 - Today Ziptr announces Ziptr v2.2, making it easier than ever for businesses, independent professionals and individuals to safeguard their privacy, safely communicate online and securely share, store and synchronize confidential files.

Ziptr prioritizes product enhancements and new feature requests based on feedback from existing customers and users. Consistently, business professionals are looking to make secure file exchange easier on their clients.

"We've been thrilled at our clients' feedback; no more complaints or access roadblocks,”comments Thomas R. Pratt, CPA, J.D., Principal with Burkhart Pizzanelli, Certified Public Accountants. “Ziptr automates the security for our employees and gives our clients a solution that adds value to their personal and professional lives. It is a real win-win."

Instead of having a business give clients a unique URL, username and password for the purpose of getting files from that single business, Ziptr users can securely communicate and exchange files with anyone they choose. Ziptr also provides a way for people to safely receive and store their confidential files for future access or to share with others. Content doesn’t disappear after an arbitrary time period or after a password reset.

While much of Ziptr’s user base is made up of professionals in the privacy-conscious accounting industry, Ziptr Founder and CEO Firdaus Bhathena points out, “Everyone has a need to store and share confidential files. When you do your taxes, refinance your home or discuss medical needs of a family member, you deserve a way to do so safely and privately.”

Ziptr offers products for personal use (no-cost) and professionals. For pricing and details, visit:www.ziptr.com/pricing.

To learn more and for a live demonstration, Ziptr is hosting a webcast, “What’s new in Ziptr v2.2” on March 6th at 12noon Eastern. Register here.

New Ziptr v2.2 features include:

• One-Step Send: Users can send a secure message to any email address; Ziptr automates the invite process, only delivering the secure communication after the recipient has accepted.
• Single Page Sign Up: First time message recipients create their account on a single web page and can then choose to login on the web or download the Windows or Mac desktop application.
• Web Access: Optimized for mobile access to use on smartphones (Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Nokia Lumia, etc) and tablets (Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface, Amazon Kindle, etc) Ziptr Web allows users to safely communicate and share files, without downloading any software. Now web users can:
  • View and send files stored securely in File Vault
  • Browse and grow trusted contact list
  • Add participants to an existing secure conversation
  • Edit notification preferences and security questions
• Ziptr Biz: For businesses looking to comply with data privacy laws and communicate safely with clients, Ziptr Biz now offers more features to bring innovation into the workplace:
  • Password Policy Enforcement: maintain corporate standards for password complexity for Ziptr Biz user accounts.
  • Circular 230 Statements: define company-wide Circular 230 statements, attaching a single statement to the bottom of Ziptr Biz users’ conversations.
  • Outlook Plugin:  keeps users from violating data privacy laws and accidentally sending confidential information via email.  Helps prevent frustration by giving users control to still send via email if content is confirmed as benign.

About Ziptr

Ziptr is the easiest way to safely communicate online.  Whether an individual, professional or business, it has never been easier to protect all your electronic files and communication, while automatically complying with data privacy laws.

Ziptr combines user-friendly secure messaging and effortless bank-level encryption, backup and synchronization in one, elegantly simple solution. To safeguard all your internal and external communication, trust Ziptr’s world class security for your electronic communication and storage needs.

Get Ziptr FREE now, peace of mind to follow. http://www.ziptr.com/ziptrfree/.

Media Contacts

Caralyn Quigley Stern
Ziptr
781.365.1022
caralyn@ziptr.com

Surprise! PowerPivot (and 3 other data tools) are NOT Free in Retail Versions of Office 2013.

Video Podcaster Mr. Excel reports today that our friends at Microsoft have hard for small and mid-sized businesses to buy perpetual licenses for Office 2013 and get four data manipulation tools in Excel 2013.  The four tools (PowerPivot, PowerView, GeoView, and Inquire) are not available in current retail, home, or OEM versions of the product.  Microsoft requires users to either (1) have a Mid-sized business Office 365 plan (E3 or E4) or (2) purchase the software through a volume licensing plan to get these four features.  The problem here is that you may not need five licenses, and may have to buy something you don’t need to get to five units.

Jelen shows a cool workaround for the MS Volume Licensing requirement that you purchase five units at time in his video podcast.  Some believe that you have to buy five copies of Office 2013 Pro Plus (e.g. five of the same item) for $2K just to get PowerPivot.  The actual rule on buying through volume licensing is that you have to buy a total of five units of items which are on the list of Volume Licensing Products.  One cheap item on the list which you can buy to fill out your cart with is the Windows Vista DVD Playback tool ($9).   This means that if you need three copies of Office 2013 Professional Plus ($399/ea), you can buy the needed Office licenses, stack on two licenses for the Windows Vista DVD Playback Tool for $9/ea, and you’re out the door with the three licenses for $405 each ($399 for the three licenses of Office 2013 Pro Plus, plus 1/3 of the $18 extra you had to buy in Vista DVD Playback Tools to get to a total of five items.) 

Bill Jelen’s blog post and the video of this is at http://learnmrexcel.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/learn-excel-2013-how-to-buy-powerpivot-2013-podcast-1649/

© 2013 Brian Tankersley.  All rights reserved.

Finding Your Apple or Android Device

While I was at CES last week, I quickly wrote up my success in locating, tracking, and retrieving my cell phone from one of a company’s 400 taxis in Las Vegas.  (The article is here).  Although it cost me $100 in reward money to get my Windows Phone back, the money it took was nothing compared to the $550 it would have cost to replace the phone.  At the end of that post, I promised to revisit this topic and let users know how to locate, track, and recover their iOS and Android devices.  While the tracking in iOS and Android takes a little more work (you have to use iCloud on iOS/MacOS X, and it requires a third party app on Android), it is possible to locate your device on these popular operating systems.

Disclaimer: Do NOT use these tools to track your employees or significant other, as it’s extremely creepy, and tracking employees may be illegal and/or a violation of your terms of service with the carrier and/or manufacturer.

Apple Devices (iOS and MacOS)

While the previous post was focused on locating your Windows Phone, it is relatively simple to implement location tracking on Apple devices.  To track the location of your device requires you to do the following:

1. You must register your device in iCloud.

2. You can then track your device when it connects online in iCloud when you go online.  An example of me tracking my MacBook Air is in the image below.

 

3. If required, the device can be locked, wiped, and reset from the iCloud console.

Note: It is a violation of the End User License Agreement to track business devices with iCloud.  Don’t do it – it’s creepy, and you WILL be found out by the target.

Android Devices (Prey Project)

There are a number of different tools for tracking Android devices; some of the more popular tools include The Prey Project , LookOut Mobile Security (requires a subscription), and Where’s My Droid (Lifehacker 2010 post here). 

Tracking your device using the Prey Project is shown in the image below, which is a location report from my Nexus 10 tablet.  I have a personal subscription to this tool. which is $5/month for device tracking on up to three devices.  Lifehacker has a good article on how to use this tool.

Infographic: Samsung Survey on the “IT vs. Employee BYOD Gap”

Samsung issued an infographic (shown below) and a results of a survey on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) arrangements last week at CES.  The blog post, available on their website, includes a 30 page analysis of the survey. 

Very interesting reading about one of the trends reshaping IT departments in 2013.

Recovering a Lost Cell Phone in 2013

I’ve lost some cell phones in my time (a hazard of traveling 100,000 miles a year).  It is no fun to lose anything – especially a smartphone.  Lost smartphones have lots of data, and are $500 or so to replace.  No fun.  In the past, I’ve spent hours calling people to find my lost phone, but today, I was able to lose, locate, track, and receive my lost phone in about 15 minutes total.  It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with technology, and my hat’s off to Microsoft, Verizon, and the Lucky Cab Company of Las Vegas (no, I’m not kidding) for making this post possible.

This week, I’m in Las Vegas covering the Consumer Electronics Show.  Today, I took a taxi from my hotel to the Venetian for a meeting.  Unfortunately, I was “under-caffeinated”, and accidentally left my new Windows Phone (HTC 8X for VZW) in a taxi.  [For those keeping score, a lost HTC 8X is a $550 problem].  Needless to say, I was a little… um… stressed.  I then remembered that I could locate my phone any time at www.WindowsPhone.com, and located the my phone, which I could verify was in a taxi. 

 

I locked the phone from WindowsPhone.com, and made it make noise so the driver or subsequent passenger would find the device.  I also put a message on the phone that said “Lost Phone, Please call 865-202-4160  (My friend Sean’s phone) to arrange for return and payment of $100 reward.” 

My friend, Sean, called the taxi company on his phone (I had a receipt with the company name and number), and over five minutes, I tracked the phone.  We refreshed the location about every two minutes, and passed the location of the phone to the dispatcher at the cab company.  The dispatcher tracked the position reports from the 400 taxis which worked for the taxi company we used, and called our driver on the radio.  The driver located the phone (large sigh of relief), and we continued to coordinate meeting the driver at the Venetian. 

Our cab pulled up about 10 minutes later, and I was thrilled to see my phone again.  I gladly gave the driver a $100 tip for bringing my phone back.  I entered my lock code to enable my phone, and I went to my meeting (with five minutes to spare).  Overall, this was a great experience.  [Sometimes technology really saves your bacon.]

[Next time, I’ll explain how you can do this kind of tracking and (if necessary) remote wiping of data on the Android, Windows Phone, and iOS (Apple) operating systems.]

If you need to establish service on Verizon, please reach out to my friend Sean (sean@seanmiller.co or 865-202-4160).  He’s a good guy, and has taken good care of my family for a couple of years.

Big Time Software Launches Big Time Express

Software publisher BigTime Software, Inc. announced the launch of a new Time & Billing application targeted at small accounting firms with fewer than twenty users this morning.  The new application, Big Time Express, allows users to track time quickly from mobile devices or using a desktop widget in Windows 7.  The product is designed with a simplified user interface, and offers tight integration with Intuit’s QuickBooks business management software. 

The release also reports that Big Time Express has a redesigned user interface which puts everything at the user’s fingertips.  Brian Saunders, Founder and CEO of BigTime Software, Inc. reports that the company has “radically changed the way the user interacts with the system.  We (BigTime) made major improvements to the menus, stripped the main navigation across the top of the page, and implemented a few other alterations that give the user easier access to major functionality and frees up space so user data gets some much-needed breathing room.”

Saunders continued, “The goal of this version was threefold: simplicity, speed, reliability. Our smaller users told us that the attributes they most wanted in a time-tracking app were super-fast set-up, reliable data syncs and timesheets that allow them to input their time and get out in just a few minutes at the end of the day. That’s exactly what Express does.”

The Express app is designed for smaller, entrepreneurial firms with fewer than 20 users who to easily add users as their firm grows.  Firms with more than 20 users can use one of the Company’s pro-level applications, BigTime Plus and BigTime Premium.  All three plans offer a 30 day risk-free trial, unlimited projects, and integration with QuickBooks.  (A screen shot of the BigTime Express product follows.)

For more information about BigTime Express, visit the company’s website at www.bigtime.net/product/btexpress, or read the Company’s blog post on this subject.

News Round Up July 17, 2012

I’ve not posted to the blog in a while, but this is primarily because I’ve been very busy writing for others.  Some of my recent writing includes:

CPA Practice Advisor (Monthly Mobile Column, Reviews)

• Accounting and Tax to Go (July issue)
• Apps to Help Manage Your Practice, Your Travel, and Your Caffeine (June issue)
• Accounting on the Go: Mobile Invoicing and “Gwabbing” Contact Information (May Issue)
• May 2012 Review of SaaS Accounting for Small Business Apps

Intuit Accountants

• How Scanners Benefit Your Practice (June-July)
• Excel’s Camera Tool (April)

I also wrote the cover story in the July issue of the Tennessee CPA Journal related to Mobile and Bring Your Own Device Arrangements (story should be live soon)

I’ve also added the letters “CGMA” to my last name, and look forward to telling you more about this in a future post.  It has also been a pretty busy few months for many publishers, and I’ll have more content soon.