Security and Compliance in Online Bookkeeping for UK Companies
Chosen theme: Security and Compliance in Online Bookkeeping for UK Companies. Welcome to a practical, human‑centered guide that turns complex regulations into confident routines, so your books stay protected, auditable, and ready for any scrutiny.
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 demand lawful basis, data minimisation, transparency, and strong security. Map each data flow, document your lawful bases, and keep a tidy Article 30 record. Share how you document processes and subscribe for deeper templates.
Making Tax Digital and HMRC API Requirements
MTD expects digital links, tamper‑resistant records, and approved software connecting through HMRC APIs. Configure access controls, test filing workflows, and keep evidence of change logs. Comment with your MTD challenges, and we’ll curate tactics that have worked for peers.
Record Keeping, Companies House, and Retention
UK businesses typically retain records for six years plus the current year, and align filings with Companies House deadlines. Define retention schedules, secure disposal procedures, and exceptions for litigation hold. Tell us your retention questions, and get pragmatic checklists straight to your inbox.
Data Security Foundations: Encryption, Access, and Authentication
Use TLS 1.2+ in transit and strong encryption at rest, such as AES‑256 with managed keys. Rotate keys, monitor cipher health, and restrict console access. Share your current encryption approach below, and subscribe for our rotating‑key checklist and war‑story lessons.
Vendor and Cloud Due Diligence
Certifications and Independent Assurance
Request ISO 27001 certificates, SOC 2 reports, and Cyber Essentials evidence. Read them critically: scope, locations, controls, and exceptions matter. A Manchester startup avoided downtime by spotting a scope gap in a vendor’s annex. Share your checklist and we’ll compare notes.
Data Residency and International Transfers
Confirm where data lives and how it moves. For third‑country transfers, use the UK IDTA or the UK Addendum to SCCs, and assess supplementary measures. Ask questions about regional failover, and subscribe for our residency decision tree tailored to finance data.
Contracts, DPAs, and Shared Responsibility
Ensure the Data Processing Agreement names parties, purposes, security measures, and sub‑processors. Clarify breach notification windows and audit rights. Share a clause you’re unsure about, and we’ll publish an anonymised explainer to help the whole community.
Operational Controls: Auditing, Monitoring, and Incident Response
Enable immutable logs for postings, adjustments, and approvals. Time‑stamped, tamper‑evident entries simplify investigations and audits. One Bristol bookkeeper resolved a discrepancy in minutes thanks to granular change history. Comment with your logging gaps, and we’ll share quick wins.
Automate alerts for suspicious access, failed logins, and unusual volumes. Patch quickly, prioritising internet‑facing systems. Pair vulnerability scans with periodic penetration tests. Tell us your monitoring stack and we’ll suggest low‑noise signals that genuinely matter for finance teams.
Define severity levels, decision trees, and communications plans, including the 72‑hour ICO notification rule when required. Rehearse tabletop scenarios quarterly. Subscribe to get our incident worksheet, and share a redacted lesson learned to help others prepare.
AML and Fraud Controls for Bookkeeping Teams
Verify identities, assess risk, and screen against PEP and sanctions lists, including OFSI. Re‑screen periodically and on trigger events. Share how you track reviews, and subscribe for our cadence planner shaped for small UK finance teams.
Clear, Living Policies That People Actually Use
Write concise policies for access, BYOD, data classification, and acceptable use. Link each policy to a short how‑to. Comment with a policy you struggle to keep current, and we’ll offer update tips in our next issue.
Human‑Centric Training That Sticks
Favor short, scenario‑based modules over long lectures. Include phishing drills tied to finance workflows, like fake supplier bank changes. Share your completion rates, and subscribe for bite‑size lessons designed for busy bookkeepers.
Backups, Disaster Recovery, and Tabletop Exercises
Keep encrypted, tested backups with offline copies and clear RTO/RPO targets. A Glasgow firm’s quarterly drills paid off when a vendor outage struck; VAT submissions landed on time. Tell us your RTO goals, and we’ll send a planning checklist.
