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IT Compliance Built for Columbus Financial Services Firms.

FTC Safeguards Rule, SOX, and PCI-DSS — built into how your environment runs, not assembled before an audit.

Financial Services IT Compliance

IT Compliance Built for Columbus Financial Services Firms

Financial services firms in Columbus operate under one of the most demanding regulatory environments any small or mid-sized business faces — and the rules apply more broadly than most owners expect. The FTC Safeguards Rule now covers virtually any business that handles consumer financial information, which means CPA firms, tax preparers, mortgage brokers, financial advisors, and even some retailers extending financing all qualify as “financial institutions” under federal law — regardless of size.

If your firm works with publicly traded companies, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) IT general controls apply on top of that. If you process card payments, PCI-DSS requirements layer in as well. Regulators don’t just expect good security — they expect documented, demonstrable proof that it exists.

Elite IT Systems builds the technical controls and the supporting documentation financial services firms need, so compliance isn’t a scramble before an audit — it’s how your environment runs every day.

What Financial Services IT Compliance Includes
  • Written Information Security Program (WISP) support — the foundational document the FTC Safeguards Rule requires, defining your security program, accountability, and safeguards in writing.
  • Risk assessments — identifying where consumer financial data lives, how it moves through your systems, and what protects it.
  • Access controls and least-privilege enforcement — a frequent audit finding across financial firms is employees retaining access well beyond what their role requires; we build and maintain controls that prevent this.
  • Multi-factor authentication and encryption — both required under the 2023 Safeguards Rule amendments for data in transit and at rest.
  • SOX IT general controls — access management, change management, and system operations documentation for firms working with or as publicly traded companies.
  • Vendor oversight and ongoing monitoring — required under the Safeguards Rule’s vendor risk provisions.
  • Incident response planning — including the Safeguards Rule’s breach notification requirements to the FTC.
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

We’re a small CPA or tax practice — does the FTC Safeguards Rule really apply to us?
In most cases, yes. The FTC’s definition covers tax preparation, financial advisory, and similar services regardless of firm size, with only a narrow exemption for firms maintaining fewer than 5,000 customer records — and even those firms still need a written security program.
Do you help prepare for an actual audit or examination, not just day-to-day security?
Yes — we maintain the ongoing documentation (risk assessments, access logs, training records, vendor reviews) that examiners ask for, so you’re not assembling it under pressure right before a review.
Do you work with firms that need SOX compliance specifically?
Reach out to discuss your specific SOX ITGC requirements — this is a more specialized compliance area than general FTC Safeguards work, and we’ll talk through exactly what your engagement requires.
What happens if we have a data security incident involving consumer financial information?
We build incident response planning into every financial services engagement, including support aligned to the Safeguards Rule’s notification timeline. Reach out to discuss your specific obligations.

Find out where your firm’s compliance posture actually stands.

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