Course Details

As accounting practices in Ireland rapidly adopt automated tools and cloud platforms, the line between operational efficiency and catastrophic data exposure has blurred. "The Future-Proof Practice: Balancing GDPR, Cyber Defence, and AI" addresses the critical realities facing today's financial professionals.


Cybercriminals are moving beyond basic phishing, leveraging sophisticated generative AI to impersonate clients and bypass traditional controls. Simultaneously, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) continues to enforce strict accountability standards, and the ongoing roll-out of the EU AI Act brings new compliance obligations for the digital tools we use daily.


This course is vital for any accountant looking to protect their practice from financial fraud and regulatory penalties. Attendees will benefit from practical, up-to-date compliance strategies that transform security from a technical burden into a major competitive advantage.


Liam Lynch covers the following topics during this presentation:
 

  • The New Threat Evolution - How criminals use generative AI to orchestrate hyper-targeted financial scams (including deepfakes and business email compromise), and how to identify them.
  • Proactive Data Governance under GDPR - Moving beyond basic data protection to implement active data minimisation, strict access controls, and transparent retention policies.
  • Securing the Connected Practice - Critical defence strategies for cloud accounting infrastructure, third-party software integrations, and client-facing digital portals.
  • Navigating the EU AI Act in Practice - A pragmatic, high-level look at the new AI regulations in Ireland, focusing on the mandatory "AI literacy" requirements for staff and understanding transparency obligations when using AI tools for client work. 
  • The Practice Rescue Plan - A practical, non-technical look at how to handle a data slip-up or system outage smoothly. We will cover the immediate steps to take and how to communicate transparently with affected clients.

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CPD Course Speaker

L2 Cyber Security Solutions

Liam Lynch

Liam has over 35 years of experience in IT. He started out as a programmer in the 1980s - yes, he's one of the people who fixed the Y2K bug - before moving into networking, infrastructure and security in the 90s. Having worked with people at every level, he has a knack for explaining scary technical topics and boring legal subjects in language that anyone can relate to and understand.

In 2016, Liam founded L2 Cyber Security Solutions, whose maxim is #SecuritySimplified — reflecting his mission to bring easy-to-understand cyber security awareness to everyone. He specialises in helping micro, small and medium businesses and charities, which usually don't have the in-house IT or cyber security support that larger corporates enjoy.

Through L2 Cyber, Liam delivers up-to-date, fun and easy-to-follow training in cyber security awareness and Data Protection/GDPR. Since the HSE ransomware attack in May 2021, his cyber security assessment service has been in high demand, giving businesses an independent view of the strengths and weaknesses in their IT infrastructure, with prioritised recommendations for fixing any gaps. He also helps organisations plan for the worst through incident response and business resiliency planning.