8:00 – 9:00 AM | Breakfast
Wednesday | October 28
8:00 – 9:00 AM | Business Before Hours: Batten Down the Hatches: Strengthening Your Firm’s Cyber Defenses
Cyber threats are intensifying, and accounting firms remain prime targets for ransomware, phishing, and data theft especially during busy seasons. This session focuses on practical, highimpact steps firms can take to tighten security, reduce risk, and prepare for the inevitable storm. We’ll examine where firms are most vulnerable, common gaps in people, process, and technology, and what “good” security really looks like in today’s threat landscape. Attendees will leave with a clear roadmap for hardening defenses without over-engineering or overspending.
Harrison Schofill, Vice President of Technology, CPAmerica 1.2 CPE | Information Technology
9:00 – 9:15 AM | Break
9:15 – 10:15 AM | Taking Ownership: How A Culture of Responsibility Mitigates Risk
This session addresses key practice issues where affirmative action of taking ownership of client deliverables and firm responsibilities work to mitigate professional liability risks. Topics will include the impact of client selection, independence, private equity, outsourcing, offshoring, changed reporting requirements and other emerging risks.
Steve Platau, University of Tampa 1.2 CPE | Regulatory Ethics
10:15 – 10:30 AM | Break
10:30 – 11:30 AM | Sharing of Issues That Present Liability Risk & Solutions to Mitigate Those Risks
This session will build on the Taking Ownership Theme to address areas where firms can identify “goto” resources to respond to requests for CMMC certifications, altered engagement terms, thirdparty vendors, cooperative service offerings, independence/objectivity challenges and other current changes to the regulatory landscape.
Steve Platau, University of Tampa 1.2 CPE | Regulatory Ethics
11:30 – 11:45 AM | CPAConnect Services Update & Wrap-Up
Chloe Hunt, Director of CPAConnect, CPAmerica, Inc.