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Building Strong Privacy & Compliance Foundations
Protecting client data and meeting evolving compliance standards require more than policies—they demand practical, up‑to‑date technology knowledge. Building Strong Privacy & Compliance Foundations is a four‑day live online conference designed for accounting and finance professionals who want to...
Presented in partnership with Michigan Association of CPAs, Oklahoma Society of CPAs, New Mexico CPA Foundation, Montana Society of CPAs, Georgia Society of CPAs, Iowa Society of CPAs, Washington Society of CPAs, Kentucky Society of CPAs, Minnesota Society of CPAs, Alabama Society of CPAs, Alaska Society of CPAs, Connecticut Society of CPAs, Illinois CPA Society, Indiana CPA Society, Massachusetts Society of CPAs, Nebraska Society of CPAs, Ohio Society of CPAs, Oregon Society of CPAs, Society of Louisiana CPAs, K2 Enterprises.
On the agenda
9 sessions across 4 days, taught by Brian Tankersley and Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland — see the full agenda ↓
About this event
Agenda
Select a day, then a class, for full details.
Day 1 Monday, August 31, 2026 3 sessions
K2's AI - Security And Privacy Issues
7:00 – 9:00 AM · Brian Tankersley · 2 credits
Security and privacy issues must be top-of-mind concerns for business professionals using AI. Yet, for far too many of these professionals, no concern is given for the potential security and privacy risks associated with AI, setting the stage for potentially disastrous results! In this session, you will learn about AI security and privacy risks and how to manage them. This session includes discussions of the major AI companies’ security and privacy policies, how AI platforms might use your data, and how you can stay in control. Given how quickly AI is spreading, this is one session you simply cannot afford to miss.
K2's Time To Advance Automation
9:30 – 11:30 AM · Brian Tankersley · 2 credits
In today's business environment, automation is no longer just a buzzword but a critical component for enhancing efficiency and accuracy. This session provides practical insights on automating your organization using advanced tools from Zoho, Zapier, Microsoft, and others. We will focus on real-world applications, demonstrating how to automate key accounts payable, banking, and approval workflows. You will also learn to recognize and avoid common pitfalls in automation projects. This course is essential for accounting and financial professionals seeking to leverage automation to achieve greater efficiency, reduce errors, and foster a more productive work environment.
- Outline the primary benefits of advanced automation in business processes
- Select appropriate automation tools for data extraction and transformation
- Identify Microsoft 365 plans and other tools that offer powerful automation capabilities like Power Automate
- Compare and contrast the functionalities and applications of Power Automate and Zapier
- Recognize business tasks that are prime candidates for automation
K2's Ethics and Technology
12:00 – 4:00 PM · Brian Tankersley · 4 credits
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, technology has a profound and far-reaching impact on both our personal and professional lives. But with great power comes great responsibility. Have you ever wondered about the ethical considerations and implications of the technology we use daily? From data privacy and security to work-life balance, the digital divide, training needs, copyrights, and fraud, the ethical dimensions of technology are vast and complex. Our comprehensive course on "Technoethics" is designed to help you navigate these critical issues. You'll delve into current and emerging topics, including copyright, cybercrime, privacy versus security, and geotracking technologies. This course will equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to understand the ethical challenges and opportunities that technology presents for individuals and organizations. Join us...
- Distinguish between morals and ethics
- Determine the influence of ethical requirements in various Codes of Conduct
- Differentiate between “technoethics” and traditional ethics, and identify examples of business ethics issues and how they are affected by technology
- Identify at least five examples of potential ethical issues associated with leading technologies today
Day 2 Tuesday, September 1, 2026 3 sessions
K2's Top Ten Productivity Booster Apps in Microsoft 365
7:00 – 9:00 AM · Brian Tankersley · 2 credits
This two-hour CPE course is designed for accounting professionals and technology enthusiasts seeking to enhance productivity through Microsoft 365's versatile applications. Participants will explore ten key apps — including Shared Mailboxes, Planner, Lists, To Do, Stream, Viva Learning, Forms, Bookings, Approvals, and Places — and learn to integrate them effectively into their workflows. The course emphasizes practical applications within accounting contexts, aiming to streamline operations and foster collaboration.
- Identify and describe the basic functionalities of at least three of the ten productivity apps discussed in this session
- Explain how Shared Mailboxes and Groups enhance team communication and help manage departmental emails more effectively
- Identify at least two of the three applications that can be used to manage tasks and/or projects available in business and enterprise versions of Microsoft 365
Privacy Issues And Solutions – What You Need to Know!
9:30 – 11:30 AM · Brian Tankersley · 2 credits
Privacy should be everywhere, yet every day seemingly brings a new story about a privacy violation. While it can be frustrating and sometimes scary to think about mishandling our personal information, it's important to remember that we can take steps to protect our privacy. This session will teach you where your critical threats are and what information you may already have at risk. More importantly, you will learn how to manage and mitigate privacy risks. In an era of increasing connectivity – and by extension, risk – this session should be high on your list to take as soon as possible.
K2's Data Security And Privacy Issues And Solutions
12:00 – 2:00 PM · Brian Tankersley · 2 credits
Data security and privacy issues continue to plague businesses of all sizes. No matter where you look, the numbers are bad – really bad! But that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to reduce these risks. In this session, you will learn about the key security and privacy risks facing businesses today and the steps you can take to mitigate these risks. This session starts with a review of how cybercriminals attack businesses of all sizes and the related costs of these attacks. From there, you will progress into discussions of practical tools, policies, and other solutions you can use to mitigate cybersecurity risks to prudently acceptable levels. This is a “must-see” session for all concerned about data security and how to mitigate threats to sensitive and confidential data.
- Identify at least five examples of common data security and privacy issues affecting businesses today
- Create estimates of the costs associated with data security and privacy breaches
- List examples of internal control best practices you can use to mitigate your security and privacy risks
Day 3 Wednesday, September 2, 2026 2 sessions
K2's Excel Best Practices And Features
7:00 – 9:00 AM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 2 credits
Microsoft Office Excel is one of the most widely used applications by accounting and financial professionals. Yet, many remain unaware of new and improved features in Excel and, therefore, fail to reach the level of productivity and accuracy they desire. Further, with new features appearing in Excel provided through Microsoft 365 subscriptions and the forthcoming release of Excel 2024, it is more important now than ever to get up-to-speed on the world's most popular spreadsheet! Make plans now to elevate your Excel skills by participating in this session. You will learn about the newer features available to improve efficiency and accuracy in it. You will also learn about the importance of numerous legacy features in Excel and how you can – and should – continue to use these tools to improve productivity.
- List examples of new functions and features in Excel
- Differentiate between Excel 2024 and subscription-based versions of Excel
- Identify steps necessary to automate tasks in Excel
- Specify the actions required to integrate data from other sources into Excel
K2's Best Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint Features
9:30 AM – 1:30 PM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 4 credits
Most professionals routinely use Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint, but many are self-taught and, as a result, have not used many of the best features of these three applications. Consequently, they often use “brute force,” inefficient means when working with these three components of Microsoft Office. If that describes you, carve time out of your schedule to participate in this four-hour session, because in it, you will learn how you can work much more efficiently when using these tools.
- Recognize the benefits associated with using Styles in a Word document
- Identify the key characteristics of effective PowerPoint presentations and the steps required to create them
- List features in Outlook that can improve personal and team productivity
- Identify key Options and Settings in Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint and the steps necessary to manage them
Day 4 Thursday, September 3, 2026 1 session
K2's Small Business Internal Controls, Security, and Fraud Prevention and Detection
7:00 AM – 2:30 PM · Brian Tankersley · 8 credits
Internal controls are more important than ever, and their importance increases daily. However, internal controls present a challenge for many smaller organizations. This program will teach you how to evaluate, develop, and implement an effective internal control structure in a small business environment. You will identify how to assess risk in smaller organizations and implement preventive, detective, deterrent, and compensating controls to mitigate these risks, even without proper segregation of duties. Additionally, participating in this program will teach you technology-focused techniques for preventing and detecting fraud and securing information systems and sensitive data. For small organizations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls presents a significant challenge. Realistically, implementing many theoretical concepts surrounding internal controls may...
- Cite internal control fundamentals, including definitions and concepts, types of internal control activities, and the need for internal controls
- Identify common small business control deficiencies and issues, including concentration of ownership and inadequate segregation of duties, and list five key risk areas for small businesses
- Recognize the common types of fraud schemes occurring in small businesses and implement internal control measures to reduce the threat of becoming a victim
- List the objectives and common deficiencies of small business accounting systems
- Define the purpose of general controls and list examples of typical control techniques in small businesses
Your instructors
Brian Tankersley
Speaker & Author · K2 Enterprises · ★ 4.5 instructor rating
Brian Tankersley is a consultant who advises US firms and companies on accounting technology issues. Mr. Tankersley is a frequent speaker at continuing education courses for K2 Enterprises, and publishes a nationally recognized blog on accounting and technology (www.cpatechblog.com). He has also served as the technology editor for a major accounting industry publication. Mr. Tankersley has over 25 years of...
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Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland
Speaker & Author · K2 Enterprises · ★ 4.5 instructor rating
Mac McClelland, an attorney and accounting professional, is an associate of K2 Enterprises of Hammond, Louisiana, and Network Management Group of Hutchinson, Kansas. Mac was formerly the director of the Centre for Financial Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he lived and worked for seven years from 1990 to 1997. He was also a member of the faculty of the Advanced Business...
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