IT Support for Orange County Accounting, CPA and Tax Firms

We're North Blue Networks, an Orange-based IT company run by people who've worked in IT since 1996. We look after the tax software, the network and the security at CPA and tax firms across Orange County, so tax season can be about returns. When the FTC Safeguards Rule comes up, we explain it in plain English and handle the technical side.

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Safeguards Rule help in plain English
Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax, CCH Axcess
Our own team answers after hours
Critical issues: 1-hour response in business hours

Technology that keeps up with tax season

CPA firms, tax preparers and bookkeepers across Orange County rely on us for the part of the job nobody notices until it fails. The tax software opens in the morning, client files are where they should be, and remote staff can get in securely. When something breaks in the middle of March, a real person picks up and fixes it fast.

The Safeguards Rule, without the headache

If you prepare taxes, the FTC counts your firm as a financial institution. That surprises a lot of people. Once you get past the legal language, the Safeguards Rule mostly asks for sensible habits: protect client data, know who can get to it, and write down your plan. We take care of the security side as part of our everyday work, and we help you put together a written plan sized to how your firm operates. You won't get a binder nobody reads, and we won't push things you don't need. If any of this makes your year harder, we've done it wrong.

Security you don't have to think about

Protected devices, multi-factor authentication (MFA), filtered email and tested backups. We set them up once and look after them from then on.

A written plan that fits your firm

We help you write your information security plan in plain language, built around how your office handles client files today.

Nothing you don't need

A two-person tax practice and a 40-person CPA firm need different things. We'll tell you which is which.

Documentation that stays current

We update the documentation as things change, so you're ready if a client, an insurer or anyone else asks for it.

Who handles what for the Safeguards Rule

Most of what the Safeguards Rule asks for is technical work we take on. A few parts have to come from the firm itself, starting with naming the person in charge. Firms that hold information on fewer than 5,000 consumers are exempt from a few parts, including the monitoring or testing and the written response plan. This is general information, not legal advice.

What the rule asks for	What we set up and look after	What stays with your firm
A Qualified Individual in charge	The technical work, explained so that person can sign off on it	Naming that person, often a partner or the office manager
A written security plan (WISP)	Drafting it with you in plain English and keeping it current	Approving it and following it
Access controls and MFA	MFA on every account, and access limited to what each job needs	Telling us when staff join, leave or change roles
Encryption	Encryption for client data on computers and servers, and when it's sent	Keeping client files on firm systems
Monitoring or testing	Monitoring around the clock, plus penetration tests and vulnerability scans when you need them	Agreeing a testing schedule with us
Staff training	Security training and simulated phishing	Making sure everyone takes part
Service providers	A list of the vendors that hold client data	Checking each vendor's security terms in your contracts
Incident response	Writing the response plan with you, and our own team answering after hours	Notifying the FTC within 30 days if unencrypted data on 500 or more consumers is taken

Your written security plan, kept current

The FTC Safeguards Rule and the IRS both expect a tax practice to have a written information security plan, usually called a WISP. The IRS even publishes a sample for small firms, Publication 5708. We help you write yours around how your office handles client files day to day, then keep it current as staff, software and vendors change, so one plan covers what both the IRS and the FTC expect. This is general information, not legal advice.

How to write a WISP

When something breaks on April 14

We watch your systems around the clock, and after hours you reach our own team, never an answering service. Anything that stops your staff from working is treated as critical, with a response guaranteed within the hour during business hours, because filing deadlines don't move.

How we prioritize every request

During business hours, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. These are response times, not fix times.
Priority	We aim to respond within	Guaranteed response within	What it looks like
Critical	15 minutes	1 hour	Work has stopped: a server is down, the office is offline, or half the staff can't work
High	1 hour	2 hours	Someone important is blocked: a partner's computer has stopped, the tax software won't open, or the internet is down but local work continues
Medium	2 hours	4 hours	One person or device has a problem, with a workaround
Low	4 hours	8 hours	Slow or annoying but working: a sluggish scanner, a program to install

How we start with a new firm

There's no big commitment up front, and we won't try to scare you into anything.

A free IT check-in

We start with a call to learn how your firm works and where your technology gets in the way.

A short, practical plan

It's sized to your firm, and you can read it in one go. Nobody needs an 80-page report.

We take it from there

We handle the setup and the handover from whoever looked after your IT before, timed so it never lands in the middle of tax season.

Frequently asked questions

Who provides IT support for accounting firms in Orange County?

North Blue Networks, founded in 2018, supports CPA firms, tax preparers and bookkeepers across Orange County from our office in Orange, and our team's IT experience goes back to 1996. We support Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax CS, CCH Axcess and QuickBooks, protect client data with MFA, encryption and tested backups, and help with the FTC Safeguards Rule in plain English.

Can you help our firm meet the FTC Safeguards Rule without unexpected IT costs?

Yes. North Blue Networks helps Orange County CPA and tax firms meet the Safeguards Rule through everyday security that's part of one monthly agreement: MFA, encryption, tested backups, monitoring, and a written security plan that fits your firm. Anything outside day-to-day care, like a new server or an office move, is quoted before we start, so there are no surprise bills. Read the FTC Safeguards Rule in plain English.

Does the FTC Safeguards Rule apply to our firm?

If you prepare tax returns or handle clients' financial information, very likely yes. Most of what it asks for is security you'd want anyway. We'll explain which parts apply to you, do the technical work and help you put a simple written plan in place.

What is a WISP, and can you help us write one?

A WISP is your firm's written information security plan: who can reach client data, how it's protected, and what you'd do if something went wrong. The IRS expects tax preparers to have one, and the Safeguards Rule asks for a written security program too. We help you write it in plain English and keep it current. This is general information, not legal advice. How to write a WISP for a tax or CPA firm

Can you keep up with us during tax season?

Yes. January through April is when everything has to work, so we schedule updates and changes around your deadlines, keep a close eye on your systems and treat anything that stops your team as critical. Our own team answers after hours, so late nights in April aren't a problem.

Which tax and accounting software do you support?

All the common ones, including Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax CS, ProSeries, CCH Axcess, QuickBooks, Sage and Xero. We handle installs, updates and remote access, and when something needs the software vendor, we get them on the phone so you don't have to.

What do you do to protect client tax data?

We protect and update every device, turn on MFA, filter email, and encrypt and back up the data. We also watch for trouble around the clock. If something does go wrong, our own team responds. There's no call center in between.

We already have an IT person. Can you help with just the security side?

Yes. We can work alongside your IT person as a co-managed team, taking on monitoring, security and the Safeguards Rule work while they keep the day-to-day. How co-managed IT works

Can our staff work from home securely?

Yes. We set up secure remote access that's easy to use, so staff can work from home during busy season without emailing client files to themselves.

Does North Blue offer a free IT check-in for accounting firms?

Yes. It's a relaxed, no-obligation call where we learn about your firm, go over what you use today and point out anything important that needs solving. There's no sales pitch. Call us at (714) 450-9330 or pick a time on our Get Started page.

Start with a free IT check-in for your firm

Pick a time that suits you, or call and talk to an engineer now.

Book a check-in (714) 450-9330