Providing Effective Managed Services for Remediating Risks

For more than five decades now, EisnerAmper has been the trusted IT advisors to numerous large enterprises, privately-owned companies, and high net worth individuals. A leading accounting firm and among the largest in the U.S, the company provides processes, risks, and technology solutions that bridge the gap between operational, financial, and technological departments to implement pragmatic solutions for remediating IT risks.

“Over the years, we have seen the IT industry evolve constantly. The recent evolution is due to the global COVID-19 pandemic that has entirely overhauled the risk profile of a typical IT work structure,” begins Rahul Mahna, Managing Director of IT Risk and Security Services at EisnerAmper. He observes that while the industry focused on backup and disaster recovery through the last decade, business continuity will gain prominence due to the working model transition in response to COVID-19. From having offices fortified with centralized security previously, the IT department is now seeking ways to tackle the myriad of security risks employees are exposed to while working from home, including where and how they connect to the network. Employees returning to office is also a daunting challenge for the IT team as they have to handle pre-screening health apps, temperature screenings, and video surveillance that are now part of the security realm.

EisnerAmper addresses these challenges with its effective IT risk and security services that allow organizations to outsource all or part of their network security. These services can be deployed as a full suite of enterprise solutions or on-demand selections and include internet security monitoring and response, vulnerability testing, mobile device management, email threat and password protection, end-point security, and backup and disaster recovery. The company also provides virtual information security officers to augment current staff and offer expert advice to in-house or outsourced IT. “With COVID-19, more and more layers are being added to the IT security onion. While it definitely makes us ’cry’, we are here to help you peel those layers of security and mitigate the risks associated with it,” remarks Mahna.

EisnerAmper understands that clients have different audit and compliance needs according to global and local policies. To address this, the company has created a proprietary tool named Financial Risk of Security Technologies (FiR$T) Look, which is used to assess organizations’ technology and financial risks and understand the financial impact. The tool helps organizations build a roadmap and recommends a budget to achieve higher ROI in future investments.

When delivering high-value services such as FiR$T Look, EisnerAmper adopts a responsive three-step approach to drive client success. It begins with a risk assessment using the FiR$T look tool and producing a full management report. The company’s in-house managed services team then creates and implements actionable solutions to mitigate the assessment risks. After implementation, the company monitors any further technical or risk-based issues. EisnerAmper holds a strong value proposition with its ability to manage not just IT risk but the control and audit risks as well.

What makes EisnerAmper unique is their Managed Advisory Services team who works hand-in-hand with the IT audit team breaking silos, while implementing solutions designed to equip clients with the tools to handle their regulatory and compliance needs. The company further differentiates itself from its competitors by offering thought leadership, free webinars, articles, and podcasts to educate clients or anyone on the latest trends and information in the industry.

Along with professional advisory services, EisnerAmper also offers accounting, audit, tax, and consulting services for esteemed clientele in a broad range of industries. As the trusted partner that efficiently handles finances, many clients approach the company with any problem they face. With the onset of COVID-19, EisnerAmper now receives clients’ requests to rearchitect their process flow, as the disparate work structure addles them. They are also exploring new technology solutions and strategies to ensure smooth workflows, for instance, an automated bill payment system as there is none available to write bills at the office. “Whether it’s to reorient technology for accounting systems, help them with a risk strategy, or deploy an enterprise architecture, we facilitate every request with diligence and viable solutions,” comments Mahna.

Highlighting the efficiency of EisnerAmper’s holistic approach, Mahna recalls an instance wherein the company helped a mid-size firm in New York to maintain a strong security posture. The engagement began with general requirements of the right equipment and database, and later the CEO started asking questions regarding their compliance. The client wanted to ensure they had the right workforce from an HR perspective, right budget techniques and expense categories, and hardware and software to comply with regulations. EisnerAmper was able to make changes in the critical process, risk, technology, and strategy components, providing an all-encompassing view of the IT framework in compliance.

Moving ahead, EisnerAmper plans to continue delivering IT services to streamline technology processes and mitigate risks. “With the addition of multiple layers to security in the future, organizations will seek external providers to help manage their services and assist internal teams. We intend to assist them by focusing on our holistic approach of managing process, risk, and technology solutions and incorporating them into a single strategy,” concludes Mahna.