Cybersecurity

A malware attack against accounting software giant Wolters Kluwer is causing a 'quiet panic' at accounting firms

A malware attack on Wolters Kluwer, a popular tax and accounting software platform, has left many in the accounting world unable to work this week and sparked concerns about the security of the tax return and financial information stored on the company's cloud servers.

Wolters Kluwer provides software and services to all of the top 100 accounting firms in the U.S., 90% of top global banks and 93% of Fortune 500 companies, according to its web site. Many of its tax and accounting services, as well as vital storage services, have been down since early Monday morning, leaving customers unable to work, access customer tax returns or personal information, during a busy filing period (taxes for non-profit organizations are due May 15). The approximately $4.8 billion company is headquartered in The Netherlands.