Quickbooks Online - Irish Version

HcksawJimDuggan

Hi there,

I've been using quickbooks online for approximately 3 years. During that time, it was evident that the software was not fully setup for Irish VAT (no cash receipts option) and there were references to HMRC so I'm guessing it was the UK version. I got used to it and manged to get around these minor issues. However, I have read recently that there is now an Irish version of Quickbooks online. I note that when I search for quickbooks, the address now has /IE at the end and looks for my login details. Does anyone know if this would automatically have been converted to the Irish version or is this something that has to be requested. There are some additional features when I have been logging in recently but I'm not sure if the UK version has been upgraded and I'm still on it.

Many thanks,
Hcksaw

J.Ryan

They did an Irish launch recently and did a big push to a lot of accounting firms, but they didn't fix the uniquely Irish receipts basis for VAT.

HcksawJimDuggan

Do companies that already exist on the software automatically get transferred over to the Irish version or is this something that has to be requested?

J.Ryan

I didn't sign up with them, but from what I remember you had to re-qualify for certification as an Irish trainer, so I imagine you are still on the English version, but I would not be 100% on that.

kala85

Is quickbooks 100 hundred percent secure?

I would like to start using it but I am worried there systems could be hacked.

Also what is Xero like - would it be better than quickbooks.

Has anyone any concerns about security in linking the bank accounts with quickbooks.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429305#Comment_118429305

No system is 100% secure and you will not get access to the operations details behind the scenes so you will just have to trust them. There are lots of things that can happen in the background from bugs in the software to operations all issues such as backups failing, network encryption being turned off, passwords being cached before encryption and lots of things you would not even think of. You do not have control over what happens in these environments that is the risk you take.

kala85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118450924#Comment_118450924

Im worried its not fully secure and my data could be leaked.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118450924#Comment_118450924

Well if all you are doing is the calculations then you've probably lost the game in any case.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451305#Comment_118451305

Well as someone who has been involved in running data centers one way or another, I'd say your fears are very genuine. But what is the alternative?

Jim2007

If you are going to use one of these online accounting services among the things you need to think about is this: these sites are well known stores of sensitive dada and they are under hourly attack by hackers. Now most of these hackers are amateurs and are easy to deal with, but a few professionals will breach first line defenses and some may go further…. So when you put your data up there your advertising your data to the hackers and better on the providers staff being smarter that the hackers…..

And if they do get through what next? If your provider is the victim of an attack similar to that a the HSE, then your first problem will be operational - you won’t have access to your data and will have difficulty in delivering timely services. The second problem is that you have no idea who has your clients data and the first you may here of is when the client complains about his accounts being splashed all over the internet.

kala85

What alternative products are available instead of using this cloud based product.

Looking for something that would be more secure.

I have data in Google apps. Is this likely to be hacked.

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118459895#Comment_118459895

Is not Google Apps cloud based?

kala85

It is,

But is Google cloud more secure than quickbooks

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118459895#Comment_118459895

All environments have the potential to be hacked, that is just a fact of life. A system level attack like I described else where is much less likely than in a small provides like an online accounting system say. But hacking your individual account could be easy or difficult depending on how you manage it. If you advertise if you share document links, use easy to guess passwords, fail to regularly change passwords and so on.

The starting point for you, is do you need to have your data hosted on a third party environment? If so then how can you mitigate the risks involved. Examples might include:

• Use an obscure account name, so that it is not possible to guess the owner nor suggest the type of data contained there in
• Anonymize the data as much as you can, so that if it falls into the wrong hands, it is less likely to embarrass you or your clients
• Make sure you have an up to date back up copy, so that in the event that you can't access cloud version, you have a fall back option
• Use good passwords
• Regularly change passwords
• Don't share accounts or passwords
• Don't use the same account names and passwords across systems
• Be conscious of login dates and times, file creation/update dates and times etc... so you can detect unauthorised access or changes